Viral Mates
by silverlineage
Summary: An antivirus was created to destroy the Blacklight virus known as Project Zeus. The antivirus, known as Project Hera, was formed three years after Project Zeus was made known. However, things don't go as planned, and now both projects have teamed up to cause havoc on society. - story starts when first game ends - ***MATURE READERS ONLY*** Strong language warning - R&R if you want!
1. Chapter 1

The Commander looked at the file on his desk marked 'classified' in bold, red letters and he thought to himself. What has his military government cooked up this time? First there was Project Zeus and that went to shit. A whole island was still infested with a viral mutation and now lost because of it. Millions were dead and only a handful of survivors were there, from what he knew. At this time, he figured they were all dead.

He was told and sworn, up and down, left and right that a resolution to the problem would be found. As far as he was concerned, it just kept getting put on a back burner. The black-haired, brown-eyed Sergeant looking at him from across his desk was standing and waiting for the file to be opened and read so he could report to his commanding officer. He never recognized the man before. Did he even have a commanding officer? Was he really waiting for him to read the file? Or was he here for something else? He couldn't recall.

It's been three years since anyone gave a damn about the island. It was quarantined and anything that left the island without authorization was terminated on the spot. Anyone or anything that went in was checked out by military personnel. If that person or thing made it out, it was solid luck. Nine times out of ten, nothing came back out unless it was infected with a virus or transporting something that came from a virus. It made him sick. Every time they tried to blow the place up, something happened and the strike was cancelled out. No one could explain it. No one wanted to even try to explain it.

Looking at the manila folder again, he finally flipped it open and saw the heading of the project that was in motion under his nose for the past three years. Now he was livid.

"Project Hera?!" the Commander snarled out. "Why didn't anyone fucking tell me anything about this?! For three years? And now this…thing?...is operational?!"

"I'm sorry, Sir," the Sergeant said. "It had to be kept a secret. We know how intelligent Project Zeus is, and we couldn't have the information leak out. It had to be kept a secret from everybody. The only ones that knew about this was myself, a handful of scientists, my commanding officer and now you. There is a helicopter outside waiting to transport you to the location where Project Hera is about to make a final check before becoming operational."

"Hera and Zeus. Motherfucker!" the Commander muttered. "How many more original fuck ups can our government make?! Whatever. Let me see here. So, Project Hera is supposed to be an antivirus? To Project Zeus? And who is your commanding officer?"

"That's what I was informed, Sir. You'll know more when we get to the base, Sir. My commanding officer is a scientist, Sir. You will meet him at the base, Sir," the Sergeant said. Slapping the folder closed, he got up and collected a few of his personal effects. He studied himself in the mirror to make sure he looked presentable. Steel grey eyes looked back at him from a chiseled, clean-shaven face. His sand-blonde hair was cropped short. So short, that many would say he looked bald. Muttering to himself as he grabbed his military jacket and hat to put on, the manila folder was collected next. He was escorted to the waiting helicopter on the roof shortly after. When a few minutes of flight checks and permissions to fly were granted, he was taken to the secret lab. Once they were up in the air, he noticed that it was the Sergeant that flew them to their next location. Apparently, pilots weren't trusted.

"How far away is it?" the Commander asked.

"We'll need to take a submarine underwater," the Sergeant said.

"Really? That's a bit unethical."

"The Blacklight Virus cannot stand water. It was the most logical thing to do."

"Hmm. Maybe. So, this Project Hera will bring an end to Project Zeus?"

"That's what I know. You'll see for yourself."

"We'll see," the Commander nodded and let himself drift into a light sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

The Sergeant woke him when they landed in the harbor where a nuclear submarine was waiting for them. The Captain of the submarine was there to greet him.

"Commander Harrison. Good to meet you. I'm Captain Wilkins. If you need anything during your trip, I'll see to it personally," the Captain said. "Sergeant Thomas! Glad to have you aboard!"

"Thank you, Captain. It would only be thirty minutes to reach the base, so let's not waste any more of the Commander's time," Sergeant Thomas said quickly. The Captain nodded, his features masked by the traditional military hat and glasses. Several of the sailors on board had a meal already set up for the two men in the galley, and a couple of beds were set aside in case they needed more rest. Once they were settled on the submarine, the hatch closed and the massive, sleek ship descended into the murky, warm waters off the coasts of New York.

True to the Sergeant's words, it was about thirty minutes on the mark when the submarine docked in a specialized underwater laboratory. Once the Commander and the Sergeant disembarked the submarine, it submerged to head back to shore to keep the secretiveness of the project in full. Commander Harrison doubted that the Captain or the crew knew anything about the project. They were simply ferry men and nothing more than that.

He headed towards the main part of the laboratory with Sergeant Thomas, and he was confronted by several men in hazmat suits. They nodded to them both and led them to the viewing deck. Behind several planes of thick glass was a tube-like tank filled with water in the center of the room. In the water was a beautiful woman. Far more gorgeous and perfect than any other woman he had ever seen in his life. He never noticed that Sergeant Thomas was led to another part of the underwater lab to do some paperwork. He was far too fixated on the inhuman beauty in the tube tank.

Her hair was long, white and framed her body unlike anything he could recall. The white strands almost looked like tendrils. He noticed they were more than just tendrils. They reminded him of the tentacles of an octopus, since each one moved as though they had minds of their own. He couldn't tell what her eyes looked like, since they were closed, but her face held a singular form of perfection. Her nose was dainty to the point that it wasn't too large or too small. Her mouth held lips with a velvety soft, pink texture. Her cheeks accentuated her face with the same perfection as the rest of her.

Her skin was so pale that it was nearly translucent, and she had the most enticing set of breasts he'd ever gazed at. He would almost have said that they had to be fake, they looked that nice. Her legs were long, as well as her arms, and as the tentacle-like hair moved her in a circular motion, he could tell she was well-muscled in all the right areas. She was purely a female, and he'd be damned if anyone else would say anything otherwise. He was so busy studying her perfect figure, he didn't realize that a rather heavy man moved to sit right next to him. A button was switched on casually and was unnoticed by the Commander. A faint light responded to the tank to show a connection was made.

"She has a fantastic ass, doesn't she?" the head scientist smirked as he adjusted his glasses. "My name is Leopold Schwartz. What you are looking at is Project Hera."

"Three years? For this?" Commander Harrison frowned.

"Yes. It took a lot of trial and error after so long. This is our finished work. We took several cells that we had obtained from Project Zeus and found an antivirus to them. Literally, just by letting Project Hera near Project Zeus, the two will act like magnets and repel each other. But, Project Hera will literally set fire to the other if she gets close enough. Like a raging bonfire, or, say, a super-heated flame," Leopold said. "She has the capability to turn any viral infection into a combustion of fire. But, the effect would only last about a week. She would need to find other ways to fend for herself once that effect wore off. She would burn too much energy if it was permanent."

"I see. Is there a possibility that Project Zeus can evolve to withstand it?" Commander Harrison asked. "Is there a possibility that they would…breed?"

"We have taken precautions," Leopold said. "There is a thermal nuclear bomb in the lower part of her brain, and it's attached to her heart. If her heart stops beating, it goes off. If the bomb is tampered with, it goes off. We even have her memories duplicated and sent into a special computer within the bomb, and it's monitored at midnight, every night, by a satellite. We can review her memories with it. If we spot something hostile, or that she wants to turn against us, we can set off the bomb remotely. As for breeding, that can't happen. It's true that, should she be successful in eliminating Project Zeus and comes back to us, we will want to breed her and dismantle her. Not only to remove the bomb, of course, but we will also want to create cures for the other viruses on the island. Vaccines would also be needed for the populace."

"I see. At least I gain some comfort in that fact. But, why can't she breed?"

"She needs to have a healthy strain of untainted female hormones injected into her. Right now, we may as well call her an it. But, that's unlikely due to her figure," Leopold smirked.

"And how would you breed her?" the Commander had to ask.

"Like any other woman. We fuck her," Leopold grinned. "Only a human male can create a viable, breeding male or female from her. Anything else, well…could be called a robotic drone, from what we know. Like any good sci-fi film, she's the Queen as many would call it. But otherwise, yeah. We'd have to fuck her. The moment she gets back from killing Project Zeus, I'll have a list of men ready for her."

"Right. Good luck with that," Commander Harrison said grimly. "So, when does she wake up? Any estimate on that yet?"

"She's already awake. She's also been listening to us talk. She needed to know what would happen if she fucks up," Leopold said bluntly. Commander Harrison blinked, looked at the now glowing communications button and then looked at the beautiful creature in the stasis tube. What a horrible waste of life! But, she wasn't exactly human, so why should he care?

"So, what can she do now?" the Commander asked.

"We uploaded everything she needs to know into her brain already. We're finishing up tactical points on weapons, military artillery, vehicles and even a few flight programs. She'll be a top ranking soldier by the time she's released from the tube. Just below Commander specialization, you see. She does have the ability to cloak her skin like a camouflage effect. Even her hair has some form of ability, too, as you can see. As long as our sensors have her DNA in our database, we'll track her easily. She won't be able to hide from us."

"Right. She'll do a test run here?"

"Yes. We'll make sure she's fully operational the moment she is able to walk. Ah! They're draining the tank now!" Leopold said with a grin. Commander Harrison watched the tank water drain fully, and the glass rose up to reveal her. She coughed out some water to breathe in the air, and she shivered as she blinked open her eyes. Clear blue eyes, almost pastel in color, now looked around her steel prison as her hair coiled around her as though to shield her nakedness. Then she looked up and saw the Commander through the glass wall. She smirked and looked away. She already knew her life was forfeit and he could tell. He didn't know whether to pity her or to simply not give a shit.

"Agatha!" Leopold said. He spoke through the microphone that led to the chamber as the men in the hazmat suits assisted her in drying off. When she was thoroughly dried, they disconnected her from the machines that uploaded the content she needed to survive.

"Agatha?" she asked in a tone that seemed almost ethereal. "Aren't I…Project Hera?"

"You are, but I named you Agatha a long time ago," Leopold chuckled. "Clothes will be sent down to you, and you will test your knowledge in a trial run. Do you understand?"

"Yes. I am ready," she nodded as she stood up. She wanted to escape, but she could feel the bomb in her head pulsing in sync with her heart. She was a prisoner and soon to be a breeding machine. If she made it back here alive. The clothes she was given include a white, camouflage suit that was built explicitly for her. Not only did it enhance her womanly assets, but it was form fitting and easy to move around in.

Being a two-piece garment didn't really help, but she did have natural armor. Her skin was hardening a bit, now that she was out of the water, to make it less transparent and more of a pale, silvery white in color. Her hair was now becoming a darker form of white, almost resembling ivory, and the tendrils settled down to be nearly floor length as they seemed to mold to her form and ended at her ankles. After another few seconds, the tendrils resembled actual hair, and the scientists were amazed at it.

She was escorted into a training area where she excelled at weapons handling, vehicle driving and a flight simulation. Commander Harrison watched everything curiously. Normally, he'd be furious as hell about the whole thing, but there was something about her that intrigued him. And it wasn't the good kind of intrigue. His gut told him that she was going to turn on them. She heard everything the scientist said, and he wouldn't blame her if she did turn on them. Just knowing that she was going to be a toy to every man on the station, and then cut up and sold to the highest bidder once her body was used up if she came back alive, would easily be enough to make even him want to kill everyone! He didn't want her to come back to that. But why would he care? He was trying to figure it out.

"Very good, Agatha!" Leopold praised, as he finally walked over to see her face to face.

"Thank you, Sir," Agatha nodded.

"You can call me Leopold," he winked. She nodded, but cringed inwards. He was a fat, bald man in a white lab coat and had bad teeth. His thin, brown hair looked greasy, and he seemed to pant as he talked. It was as though he was constantly struggling to breathe. If he took better care of himself hygienically, she wouldn't have minded him. However, as a female, she had her standards, too. "And this is Commander Harrison. He was watching your performance, and it was he that I was talking to as you were being extracted from the tube."

"Hello, Sir," she nodded. Now this was a human specimen that she wouldn't mind being with! Handsome, strong and tall. Smart, too, from the look of it. He would give her decent offspring. But, that wasn't her choice to make. It was a touch disappointing to her.

"Hello," he said back. "I don't approve of your existence."

"I don't approve of yours, either," she said back without missing a beat.

"Touché," he seemed to smile lightly. "You know your mission. As much as I would prefer to have this done another way, you seem to be our only hope."

"Glad to have your approval of something," she nodded. "I'll leave now."

"Remember!" Leopold warned. "If you die, the bomb in your head blows up!"

"Then maybe I should kill myself now and keep you all from waiting," she grumbled.

"You wouldn't dare!" the scientist paled.

"Then get the fuck out of my way and let me do my job!" she snarled. The Commander found himself grinning. If she was human, he'd be compatible with her.

"Agatha! Remember who made you!" Leopold hissed. "You have one month! I stress to you _one month_! If you don't come back here by then, I'll be forced to cleanse the island with that bomb in your head! And the timer started the moment you walked out of that tube!"

"Ah. Now I have a time limit. Fine. Stop wasting my time and let me get to the surface now, then," she muttered. Then she added with sarcasm, "Sir."

"Only a month?" Commander Harrison frowned.

"It took a little under a month for that whole island to go down. We judged that it would be the same time to purify it," Leopold shrugged. "There is a cryo tube this way, and it will be jettisoned out to the island. It will also be your transport back. Don't worry about fuel, it's rigged to use steam from the ocean water itself, and it is solar powered for energy storage. No need for batteries. You don't need to be in it for the satellite to upload your memories, since you have that built in with the bomb. You may feel a little queasy as the satellite homes in, but you'll still be alive once it's done."

"You said that her memories are duplicated and stored in a separate database for the satellite. Can they be altered? Can it pick up her personal thoughts?" Commander Harrison asked. She said nothing, but listened as they walked. He was asking crucial questions that she wanted to know the answers to.

"It…may be possible. Personal thoughts? No. It will only store what she can hear and see. But only with my codes and with the proper software from my laboratory computers can those memories be altered. She would need to be hooked up to them, and it would be a bit like Photoshop after that. Easy to work with and such."

"Can the programs be copied?" Commander Harrison asked.

"Maybe…" Leopold frowned as he thought. "Why are you asking me these things?"

"It's a need to know basis so I know who I need to kill if something fucks up," he muttered as he glanced at Agatha. She appeared to not be paying attention, but he knew she was. If she was truly trained as top military personnel, then he knew she was carefully storing every bit of information that she could get. When they got to the cryo tube, she moved to go inside it and the Commander stopped her.

"Yes, Sir?" she asked.

"I don't trust you," he said. "I'm not sure what to make of you. But if you fuck up this mission, I'll have you destroyed!"

"I understand. Maybe if I get back, I'll let you fuck me first," she said with a small gleam in her eye, and his jaw dropped. She liked him and told him in so many words. He wasn't expecting that. Leopold seemed to stutter at this and literally shoved her into the cryo tube for it to lock her in place and freeze her solid within it. What he didn't see was a tendril of her hair getting smashed in the door from his hasty move. When the door shut, a split second before she was frozen, her body instinctively severed the wounded tendril. That small mistake the scientist made could now destroy everything they hoped to achieve.

"I wasn't done talking to her," Commander Harrison frowned.

"She has a mission to do! When she gets back, you can talk to her after I have found out all I needed to know about her," Leopold said, as he entered in the coordinates from where the cryo tube would land. "Now, I need a blood sample from you so our computers will know who you are if you need to come here again."

"Hmm…" the Commander frowned. He knew the scientist wasn't just going to talk to her if she got back. Why did that piss him off? He watched as the cryo tube was moved to a specialized launch pad, and the area sealed off as it flooded with water. Once the small craft was launched, he knew that all of their hopes went with it.


	3. Chapter 3

The man once known as Alex Mercer and now known as Project Zeus stared out over the remains of the New York island city. The place was over-run by infected humans and other genetic strains that lacked his control. This place was his territory. There were only two people he gave a shit about. They were the doctor that saved his ass several times, and the one he called a sister in a previous life. He kept them both safe from everything around them, and he had to make plans soon to send them away to another place of safety.

Food and water was becoming harder and harder to find for them, and it's been complete luck that he was able to help them so far. It's been three years of the usual attempts to infiltrate and destroy the island. All of those attempts were removed. It was also those infiltrations that let him get the food and water he needed for the two humans he protected. He was all that remained in keeping the island military free. At the same time, the island was a quarantined area because of it.

He was starting to get bored of it. He wasn't even human anymore, since the Blacklight Virus that infected him took over his body right down to his clothes. A grey hood covered over his head to hide most of his features, and a leather jacket covered over the hooded shirt. A button up, pale blue, long-sleeve shirt was under the hooded sweater and was un-tucked. Jeans and shoes completed the outfit and it made him look like another human walking the streets. Unlike the usual human, he wasn't defenseless.

He had his own methods of attacking others that ranged from sharp, metal claws, to a whip-like hand. There was even a blade he could make with his own body, as well as a shield. He could harden the outer layer of his skin into armor to defend himself. If things got really tough, he could make tendrils leap out from his form to do a devastating attack around him to kill anything in land or air. He had another like that with his claws to have them jut out through the earth to impale anything on land. And as for movement? He was the fastest thing there was when it came to jumping, gliding and running. He was the perfect killer.

He was about to turn away, but a shiny object surfacing in the water caught his sky-blue colored eyes. He turned fully now to study it from where he was. He wasn't close enough. Moving swiftly as he leapt and glided from building to building, he paused as he reached the docks. Something unnerved him about this. He moved closer and paused to watch as the metal tube seemed to jettison itself onto land and stand itself upright. He watched as a new form of rocket emerged under it to turn from water movement to air movement. Then it launched into the air to get to safer ground. It was programmed to find the safest place possible to stay out of reach of infested bio-creatures on the island. A rather sophisticated form of AI.

He followed it swiftly, but remained at a safe distance. This was new to him and had him puzzled. What was this? The metal tube stopped to land on a roof top, and it was here that it opened to reveal the palest woman he had ever seen in his existence with a sheen of cream colored hair. In human terms, she was absolutely, downright beautiful. The type of woman that any man would worship without even thinking. The moment her slender body stepped out of the tube, he hissed as her very presence felt like fire! What was she?! Who was she?!

He backed away even more as stealthily as he could, and found his limbs were starting to fail him as his joints felt like they were boiling in their cellular sockets. This wasn't good! When he got far enough away, he was able to move again without pain, and now he glared at the pale figure in the distance with disbelief. He saw her look around, take out various weapons and now she darted down the building. He paused in realization. She was hunting him.

"Fuck!" he swore and waited until she was a good distance away before approaching the cryo tube. He found a bit of liquid left from her frozen state and he moved to collect it. The liquid was actually the tendril that was removed from her body when Leopold slammed the door shut on it. When it was separated from her, it turned into a form of goo, since it had lost shape from being frozen and cut off from a food source. It burned him like a hot coal when he touched it and he hissed. His body was rejecting it. He had to collect it somehow and take it to the doctor to be analyzed. Glancing around, he found a discarded steel pipe and managed to collect the goo on it since it wouldn't separate. It actually seemed to cling to the metal. He had to hold the pipe away from him as though he was holding a lit torch. Now he moved swiftly to where the doctor was hiding out in his hospital.

He walked in and dropped the metal pipe onto the examining table. The doctor heard the metallic sound and walked out from his lab.

"You brought me a pipe?" the doctor asked.

"Ragland, I brought you a pipe with some goo on it that burns me. It came from a strange, pale woman, and she walked out of this small, metal, rocket-thing. Just by her being near me, even at a far off distance…it made me feel like I was on fire with pain! I need to know why!" Alex hissed. "I need to know fast, too! She appears to be hunting me!"

"Really?!" Ragland blinked and studied the edge of the pipe. Finding the clear goo described, he took it into his lab for analysis. An hour later, he came back out.

"What is it?" Alex asked.

"You're not going to believe this," he sighed. "It's an antivirus. To you."

"WHAT?!"

"Apparently, they made someone like you. Only made up of something that can kill you just by trying to get near you. However, you may be able to evolve and get stronger the more you're near it."

"Well…" Alex frowned. "How can I do that?"

"You'll need to get some of this creature's blood. The pure form of the antivirus. If you can get that, I can work on something for you. But, you need to be able to tolerate the presence of the antivirus first. You could try to consume a small bit of the sample you brought to me. Too much could hurt you, but the amount on this glass slide could be enough. You could even try to consume the blood that you get from the antivirus itself, but that could be risky."

"Hmm…" Alex thought and took the microscope slide from the doctor. Touching it, he winced from the pain it gave him, but then he blinked at some of the memories given to him. His body quickly gleaned information from the small droplet and started to evolve. Then he reviewed the memories, and his want to kill the pale woman quickly vanished.

"Any change in your physique?" Ragland asked.

"Yes. And I found out something else," Alex grimaced. "If she dies, we're all fucked."


	4. Chapter 4

She had cleared out a hive building that was infested with large, carnivorous creatures called Hunters, and she realized that she could consume them to get stronger with her tentacled hair. What she didn't know was that her own DNA was changing to adapt to her surroundings. The longer she stayed in the presence of the deadly virus, the more her body adjusted to repel it. All of the infected humans were fleeing from her now. They couldn't tolerate being around her, and those that tried ended up being engulfed in fire.

She literally boiled them from the inside out just by being around them until they combusted into flames. She had an idea that it was because she was just created, and she knew that the effect was temporary from what she overheard from the scientist back at the lab. But, it helped her stay safe for now, and she was able to reserve her ammunition. When she passed by a corpse, the dead flesh had no effect to her. Only living infected tissue would combust and she paused in thought.

She knew the satellite uplink would need to be made soon, and she had to get to higher ground. She didn't know how she would be after the uplink was done, and she did recall that she was told that she would get queasy. She made a small camp on the top of a building in one of the highest floors. When midnight rolled around, she felt the satellite uplink into her head and a wave of nausea hit her. She didn't puke, though, and it was enough to show that she was still alive. Gasping from it, she settled back down and took a deep breath.

"Did it hurt?"

"What?!" she growled and rose quickly now to look around. Alex stepped out of the shadows to confront her. It was easy to find her. He just had to search around until his body tingled with a slight form of pain.

"Did it hurt when the satellite checked your memories and vital signs?" he asked with a gruff tone of voice.

"What would you know?!" she hissed. The hood hid most of his features, and she studied him warily. She was starting to feel nervous when he wasn't running from her like the others.

"You hurt me before when you stepped out of the cryo tube. You still hurt, but not as badly. I can tolerate you. To an extent," he grinned now. "I am Alex Mercer. You may know me as…Project Zeus."

"Project Zeus?!" she gaped.

"Yes. And I know that you are Agatha…or also known as…Project Hera…if your memories are correct?" he smirked. At her stunned silence, he knew he was right. "As for how I am evolving to be more…compatible with you, there was a little bit of residue that you left in the cryo tube back there. It was enough for me to consume, and I learned quite a bit about you. Especially that conversation you heard when you first woke up. That was quite…educational."

"What do you want? I have to kill you, you know. And all of my memories of this will be uploaded to the next satellite in twenty-four hours from now."

"I know. I want to propose a deal with you," he said, as he pulled up a broken chair to sit on. "I know you don't want to go back to the fate dealt to you. So, I have another option. A mandatory one, regardless, but an option all the same. There was something that that Commander mentioned, and it…sparked an interest for me."

"Like what?" she asked. She kept her guard up.

"You and me team up," he grinned. "We…could create an army together."

"Hah! As if it was that easy!" she frowned. "The bomb in my head would explode, and everything around me goes with it!"

"I know. But, I also know a doctor who is exceptionally good with surgery. He may have an idea on what to do."

"But if he fucks up, we all die."

"I know that, too. Still…you'll kill me anyways, you won't have to get raped by humans constantly and your mission will be a success. But…you go with my option and you'll have another chance at life."

"I'll still get raped. By you. Fuck it. I'm not going for it," she growled.

"You don't have much of a choice. Like I said, the option I am giving you is a mandatory one," he snarled, as he stood up from the chair and took a step towards her. Her presence was starting to get to him, but he had to force it. He needed his body to evolve to overcome her so he could use her to his advantage. She saw he was struggling, and now she ran at him to either attack or repel him.

He swore viciously and struck out with a clawed hand to retaliate. She shrieked as he managed to cut her. Now that he had her blood on his body, he had to work fast to consume it before it seared him from the inside out. Once his body controlled the blood and evolved from it a touch further, he found her even easier to be around. He'd still need the doctor to work with her blood to make a more potent form of compatibility for her. At least her blood wasn't burning him now, and it started to give him an advantage.

"Oh, shit…" she whimpered, as she saw his body shiver with a form of new control. He was getting stronger around her. The scientists had no idea how fast he could evolve to adapt to new things. If she stuck around him even longer, then he would simply become immune to her. The hunter was quickly becoming the hunted. She had to run. Her body shifted into stealth mode as she camouflaged to match her surroundings. Sticking to the shadows, she evaded him. For now. Once she was safe, she reflected on what just happened. She had under twenty-four hours before her next satellite upload. She was likely going to die, despite how she declined his offer. Less than a day and her mission was already a failure! While she hid, he went back to the doctor to have his own form of vaccine made with the blood he still had on him. He would come back to look for her later once it was done.

However, he did consume her blood, and he was evolving from it. She knew this now. She looked at the wound on her arm, and she was already regenerating. Soon, the wound would be gone without a scar. The only problem was that regenerating cost her valuable internal resources. She needed to eat something, and her pack was left at the small camp she made. She had run into an alleyway to evade him on ground level. She didn't know if she could chance going back to the camp. She stayed where she was for the better portion of two hours. She could have tried to move, but she didn't know where he was.

The vaccine was easy to make, and even easier for his body to work with. He was far more immune to her now, and it was now that he had to do as the humans said before at such opportunities. He had to strike while the iron was hot. Heading back to where he last lost her, he blinked as he found out that he could see her now. Her scent gave him a visual of her location. That and the lack of infected humans in the area also compromised her location. Grinning, he soundlessly edged behind her and made his move.

"Hello, darlin'!" Alex grinned, as he reached out and grabbed her from behind. She tried to do several swift combo moves to escape him, but he countered her moves easily. It was time for an act of desperation and she turned to instinct.

Her hair now moved to form a wall of spikes in front of her. Unlike Alex as to where he could shift his whole body, she could only use her hair. It caught him off-guard, and she was able to escape him again, but he had the ability to track her down by her scent alone. He had her cornered again, and she became enraged at her constant failure to kill him.

"I can't join you!" she screamed at him. "I have only a month to kill you and get back before the bomb goes off in my head!"

"A month? That sucks! I must have missed that," he growled. "But…I know someone who excels at surgery. The doctor I said before. We may have a way to free you."

"And then what? You know of an untainted woman to inject hormones into me to turn me into a breeding machine? You think I want that?!" she snarled.

"I do…know someone," he mused, as he thought of his former sister. Then he disregarded it. He didn't want the feeling that he could be fucking his sister. Then again, wasn't the god Zeus and the goddess Hera brother and sister, anyways? And they still had kids? He could easily make it work to his advantage. Thinking back on using his former sister, the idea started to agree with him more and more. It would be a bitch to find another viable human female. He looked at her now and said, "As to what you want, I know it's not being raped by humans constantly. Wouldn't you rather be used for something that could give you a real purpose? Something that could help you get revenge on those fuckers that want to just kill you anyways and treat you like a piece of trash when you're done breeding out?! At least I would give you a fighting chance to survive, and we could leave our mark on the world!"

"I don't know," she frowned. "Besides, you'd have less than twenty-four hours before my memories are scanned and uploaded. They find out about us talking like this, then I die. That was made clear to me. I only had one chance, and I know it's gone. My life is no longer mine. I'm sure they have back-up cells of me, anyways. They could just clone another form of me and use that."

"Then I'll have to destroy the cells to make sure you can't be replicated, and I'll have to find a way to alter your memories to buy us more time," he thought. "The cryo tube you came in would take you straight back to that lab. Right?"

"It's an underwater lab. Always under surveillance. The cryo tube would only respond to my DNA code, anyways."

"And I have your DNA code now," he grinned, as his form shifted into a replica of herself. She gaped at his ability, and he grinned savagely with her form.

"How did you get that?!" she demanded to know. "How did you get my DNA?!"

"Your blood when I attacked you. The doctor I mentioned is a miracle worker with the Blacklight Virus. Which is me."

"But…how did you know of me before? Of my memories?"

"Your cryo tube had an odd bit of goo-like residue at the bottom of it. I told you before, but you likely didn't pay attention, since you were too focused on the fact that I found you out. I found it after you walked out of it. I was able to consume some of it to learn about you," he grinned. Goo? From the cryo tube? Then she blinked and remembered how she was pushed into the cryo tube before she got here. Glancing at her hair, she noticed how one strand looked shorter than the rest, and she pulled the tentacle close. The end was growing back. That was how the goo was formed when it dropped off her after the cryo tube door was opened. Leopold fucked himself big time and she shivered. Now she thought of how Alex was able to change his forms and she glared at him. Wouldn't he lose her form if he attacked another?

"But, you lose my form if you consume another!" she argued. "Don't you?"

"I know I do. It's why I would have to consume the next one in charge carefully. Maybe I'll take an extra bit of your blood with me to get close to who I need to kill. That…Leopold guy…would need to be the first to take over. Right?"

"True," she frowned. "The Commander should live, though."

"Oh? Why him?"

"Recall the memories of breeding me out. If you and I did anything, you can't make a breeding set of males or females. We'd likely make sexless drones to do our dirty work. We would need a human stud. That Commander fits the bill for me."

"Hmm…" he thought, as he shifted back to himself and crossed his arms over his chest. "But, why him? Surely there are others, right?"

"He's…interested in my welfare. To an extent. Call it female intuition," she shrugged. "He's not happy with his military government, anyways. I can tell. And he's in his prime, for human standards. Anyways, time is being wasted. If you think this doctor can help, then…well…if I run from you, you'll just track me down and corner me again. I'm screwed no matter how I look at it. Whether I blow up or used for other purposes. Your option is obviously mandatory if I want to keep my life."

"So…you'll join me?"

"If you can get this thermonuclear bomb out of me, I guess I owe you that much," she shrugged. "We'll all die, anyways, if we fuck up."

"True. Then let's go," he said.

"Wait. Knock my ass out."

"Huh? Why?" he asked.

"Do you want your doctor's location to be known if the satellite does manage to uplink?"

"Would it really matter if we're all gonna die?"

"You have a point," she agreed. Nodding to her, he moved to lead her to the doctor, but she moved to her small camp first to grab the few protein bars she needed to replenish her strength. He frowned at this and thought.

"You need to eat?" he asked.

"I have to. When I regenerate my body, I lose nutrients. Pure protein is the key for me," she shrugged. "Without it, I have nothing to work with. Those scientists could only test me so much before I had to come here, you know. The timer for the bomb in my head started the moment I was released from the test tube they made me in. I can consume those Hunters out there, but they don't have the real nutrients that my body needs to work with. I haven't tried to just eat them, though. Like these bars, but I wouldn't really know how to go about it unless I hack them into tiny pieces to chew up."

"Hmm. We'll need to work on that, too," he nodded. "All right, let's move. It's nearly two hours to dawn, and I'll need to see if I have to infiltrate that base."

"You could, anyways. It would be a nice hideout."

"Your idea intrigues me," he grinned. "I could consume whoever maintains the place and easily send out false signals that all is well. Consume anyone that tries to infiltrate…"

"Hah! A breeding ground?"

"We could do something here, as the doctor and my former sister go there. Make a distraction for the military, maybe. Then we join up with them," he mused. "The cryo tube could be the main means of transportation…"

"Already getting ideas, eh?"

"No thanks to you! You may have solved one of my biggest problems for finding the best safe house in existence. No one really knows about that base, right?"

"I was a top secret project. I may as well not even exist along with that base."

"I'm liking this more and more," he grinned. "Stocked with food and water?"

"There is a self-generating garden with a bunch of breeding livestock. We may need to get more livestock, though, as an emergency backup. Salt water is transformed into drinking water from specialized filters. Maintenance is done every six months, as well as discreet food and supply drops. Consume the right people, and you could fix what breaks easily as well as who to contact to get needed supplies."

"How do you know all this?"

"Let's just say," she said with a small, wicked smile. "That I was 'awake' long before they said I was. Whatever they spoke of around my tank, I overheard. My genetic make-up was mainly compromised from yours. My mind evolved faster than the rest of me."

"I have a set goal now. Let's move," he grinned again. He was going to turn the underwater base into his new safe house. It was perfect. Capture the Commander and use him as a breeding stud to keep offspring that could be bred for their own purposes. He could then send out those offspring to make breeding grounds in other cities. Maybe even have the doctor inject the fetuses with a strain of viral mutations to make them stronger. Alex would breed with her to keep a small army of drones. He would be King, and she would be Queen. The military just made their own downfall. But…that was if the bomb could be removed from her safely. He would not proceed with what he wanted until that thing was out of her.

He led her to where the doctor was and introductions were made.

"So, you are the antivirus?" Ragland asked. He studied how her hair moved with a mild form of fascination. When she concentrated slightly, the tendrils settled down to appear as near floor-length hair. It was one of the few things she could do properly.

"Yes. They call me Agatha, but I'm also known as Project Hera," she said.

"Project Hera and Project Zeus. Rather fitting," the doctor mused. "Anyways, I understand you have a bomb in your head, and it's attached to your heart?"

"And at midnight, a satellite uplinks to my head to scan duplicated memories for anything that could be seen as unfit for military tactics, like my joining up with my enemy," she said with a grim smile. "It's attached to the bomb, though. You remove the bomb, you remove the scans. You make one mistake, we all die."

"I see," Ragland frowned. "Let's take a few x-rays. Shall we?"

"While he works on you, I'm going to find Dana," Alex said.

"Dana?" she frowned.

"My former sister. One of the few humans I give a shit about," he said. "Once that bomb is out of you, I'll give a shit about you, too."

"I should feel so lucky," she muttered. Ragland managed to chuckle and gestured for her to follow him. Alex watched her move to follow the dark-skinned doctor and he waited. He wanted to see the results of the scans first to plan his next objective. He was lucky that Ragland was able to save his former sister. The coma she was in scared him to death. It was a temporary thing, but at least she was up and about again. He did like knowing that at least some part of his human past life still existed. Dana was someone he trusted and confided in.

A few minutes later, he saw Ragland walk out with Agatha to place the x-ray shots on the lighted wall screens. The bomb was seen just under her brain, and wires seemed to wrap around her spinal cord from her neck to her heart. Luckily, none of the wires were moved through her ribs, and the wires seemed to trail down her spine to where her heart was. The scientists wanted an easy removal and not a difficult one.

"This will be tricky," Ragland frowned.

"I see that. What do you have in mind?" Alex asked.

"I'll have to get access to a beating heart. If I work fast enough, I could move the wires to the other heart, and then remove the bomb from under her brain. Or, I could see about removing the bomb first and the wires after. That may actually work better, so I can move the wires around after that. I could unwrap the cords from her spine to give me more slack. If you can find me an infected woman, we could use her as the fake," Ragland said. "But, we would need to make sure that both hearts beat at the same time. I can do that easily with the right drugs, so that's not a problem. The problem is finding the right female."

"What a pain in the ass!" Alex scowled. "And if one thing slips up, we're all blown the fuck up. Lovely."

"As long as it's done before midnight. Unless you infiltrate that base now and get the programs and stuff needed to alter my memories," Agatha shrugged. "Or another way to stop the scans. Whatever comes first."

"I'll find an infected female first. Then I'll find Dana. Then I'll go to the underwater lab. Ragland, knock her out now. No more memories for her at this time," Alex said. "I'll bring back what supplies I can. Once I make the underwater lab safe, you and Dana will both go there. There is food and water there, as well a whole new butt-load of toys."

"I'll look forward to it, then," Ragland said. "I could use some new toys."

"Can't we all?" she grinned with a shrug. "Just remember, Alex. The Commander needs to live. Trap him in a room if you want."

"I know," Alex nodded. "I'm moving out now."

Ragland nodded and placed a chemical cloth over Agatha's face to knock her unconscious. Now it was time for him to prepare for surgery, and Alex needed to find an infected female. There was one thing he was worried about. Her presence would make the other females combust. He would need to find one that would be strong enough to resist her, and that was going to take some time.

"Problem?" Ragland asked.

"Big one. Her presence makes the infected humans here combust. I don't know if any of them will be strong enough to resist her," he admitted.

"Then try this," Ragland said, as he took an empty syringe and filled it with her blood. "Whatever lives after a drop of injected blood will work."

"Good call. Oh…I never did thank you properly for saving Dana."

"You letting me live is thanks enough. I'll start prepping Agatha for surgery. Get me the body I need without killing it. A female one will work best, as I said before."

"Right. I'll be back in a bit," Alex nodded and sped out of the hospital. Once out in the city, he worked his way to where he knew a small pocket of surviving humans were able to live. He switched on his viral scanning senses and targeted an infected female. Running up to her, he pinned her against a wall and gave her a small dose of the injection. She died as flames consumed her body. Swearing to himself, he knew this was going to take time. He didn't have much blood to work with. Taking out the syringe to hold in his hand, he noticed that many of the infected humans cringed and ran from it. This could save him some time.

For the better part of an hour, he moved through the city with the syringe in his hand. Practically all of the infected humans fled from him, and he was starting to get pissed off. Then he paused as he noticed one of the females wasn't budging. Moving over to her now, he saw she was only mildly infected. She was in the first stage of it and was able to resist the power of the syringe. Perfect. He injected the syringe into her neck, and it halted the process of infection completely. It even started to work the virus into a form of recession.

"Agatha's blood is a…cure?" he blinked and grinned. He just found a way to fully protect the good doctor and his former sister from the spreading virus. Knocking the sobbing woman unconscious, he moved swiftly back to the hospital with her. He thought of possibly using the woman's hormones for Agatha, but it didn't fit right with him. He'd rather have someone he could trust. That someone was Dana. On reaching the doctor, he told him what he found out about Agatha's blood.

"Her blood is a cure?! I'll prepare a shot for your sister and one for myself right now. I'll keep a few others handy in case we need them," Ragland said.

"Fine," Alex nodded. "Here is your living body for the heart bomb transplant."

"Good. I'll get to work immediately," the doctor nodded.

"Oh, can I get a DNA sample of yours and Dana's? I may need to plug them into the base when I get there to mark you both safe."

"Oh! Yes, of course. Here," Ragland said, as he moved swiftly into the lab to pull out the DNA samples he needed. Another syringe filled with Agatha's blood was given to Alex, and he sped out of the hospital to find his former sister. Dana always saw him as her brother, and he knew she would trust him with everything he told her. Finding her new safe house, he entered through the roof and found her sitting at a computer.

"Fuck! Alex, you could have told me it was you!" she said. Her short, black hair and large, brown eyes stared at him with a touch of annoyance.

"Sorry. I found a cure for you. To keep you from getting infected. But, once you take it, I'm going to need your help," he said.

"Oh? Fill me in," Dana said. He sat down and told her about Agatha and her memories. Dana was in shock with everything and thought.

"So, we can use their bio weapon against me to work against them. She agreed to it, since her life is pretty much shot to hell, anyways," he said.

"She's a ticking time bomb right now!" Dana freaked.

"Still, it's a chance we have to take. Right now, Ragland is removing the wires around her heart to attach to the other woman I found. Here, inject this into you, and you'll be safe from infection," he said, as he gave her the syringe. "I need to get to that lab to make it safe for us."

"When does she need those hormones? To have kids with?" she asked.

"Ah. Likely before you leave for the lab. If you don't help…well…I'll have to find someone else and that will be a pain in the ass."

"But, it would be like you're fucking me!" she said with disgust.

"Would you rather I fuck you than someone else?" he countered. She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Couldn't they have female hormones there? For when she got back?"

"That…is possible…" he mused. "I'll have to look."

"If they don't…fine. You can use me. I'd rather not, though," she admitted.

"I'll see what I can find. If you go to Ragland now, don't disturb him!" he warned. "We'll all be blown up if he makes one mistake."

"Right. Fine, I'll see if he needs my help," she nodded. He nodded back to her and made his way to the cryo tube. So far, there was no nuclear explosion. He hoped the place wouldn't be a smoking pit when he got back. Shifting his form into Agatha's body, the scanner recognized the DNA pattern and let him slip in. Once he was frozen, the cryo tube launched and landed in the water to dive to the waiting base below the water.


	5. Chapter 5

When the cryo tube opened to reveal his frozen form in Agatha's body, the scanners picked up none of his DNA genetics. It was when he changed back that the sensors would go haywire and pick him up as a threat. Leopold was running up to the cryo tube chamber now to confront him. On looking at the depraved human, he growled inwardly.

"You're back so soon! Our calculations were completely off! Still, this is unexpected! Come, Agatha. We must scan your memories to ensure that Project Zeus is dead," Leopold said.

"Actually," he said, as he replicated her tone of voice perfectly with a touch of lust. "I was hoping we could talk alone first…"

"Oh, my! So soon? Well…" Leopold thought and grinned. "I suppose the memory scans could wait…"

"I'm sure they can," he purred out beautifully. The human was baited and caught. Alex was rushed into a spare storage chamber, and the lead scientist was giggling. Alex studied the room they were in and noticed there were no cameras or DNA sensors here.

"I know that you need to be injected with the proper hormones and, well, we don't have any right now," Leopold drooled. "But, I'm sure that little detail can wait…"

"Actually," Alex grinned, as his form shifted back with split second precision. The claws came out and he skewered the human as he consumed him. "That detail…can't wait…"

Leopold had no chance. Once the man's body was fully consumed, all of his memories now belonged to Alex. Thinking them over, he now knew how to operate the entire station. And he knew every single code and key to every file and lock on board. Smirking, he waited about twenty minutes before assuming the scientist's form. Walking out of the storage unit, he gave a small smile to passing staff. It was only obvious as to what they were thinking. They didn't even make it down the hall when they found themselves gutted in half. Alex made sure to keep everything neat and orderly. It was a good thing the storage room had lots of empty tubs.

There were approximately fifty humans on the base. All of them were males. Alex sighed as he was going to have to ask Dana for her help. He was hoping for at least one human female here. As each human seemed to 'vanish' mysteriously, panic started to set in. Then the DNA intruder alarms went off and sent everyone into a frenzy.

"Stay calm, people!" Sergeant Thomas said and ran up to Alex in his Leopold guise. "Sir! People are vanishing! Ever since we let Project Hera back on board, something hasn't been right! Do you have any ideas?"

"I do," Alex said, as his form shifted to his real one and he consumed the Sergeant. This man had even more secrets, and his form would be used to lure in the Commander. Heading into the control room, he deactivated the satellite, but decided to wait on having it self-destruct. He still needed a phone to contact the Commander with. At least he delayed the scanning, and now he scoured over any possible way to deactivate the bomb in Agatha.

What he found out pissed him off. There was no deactivation option. Doctor Ragland _had_ to be successful or they were all dead. Growling at this, he decided to wipe out the rest of the staff on board. He was quite careful not to consume any of them. He needed to keep the Sergeant's form. After a few more minutes of successful human cleansing, he checked for any life forms. He was the only one alive, as well as the livestock. He registered his viral DNA as non-hostile to keep the threat level down to nothing.

He cleansed the system of all other human DNA after that, but he saved the Sergeant's and Leopold's. He may need their DNA later. Then he blinked as he saw the Commander's DNA in the system and he grinned. That would save him some time, but there wasn't much. He'd have to get more from the man and he smirked. It was time to coax Commander Harrison out of hiding on land, and he knew how to do it. Heading into the control room, he reactivated the satellite and went to make that call.

Assuming Sergeant Thomas's form, he sat in the desk that used to be the man's office and did a video call. Reaching a receptionist, he requested the call to go through. It was transferred immediately.

"Sergeant Thomas?" Commander Harrison said, as he answered the video phone call at his desk. He was now curious as to what was going on.

"We have a problem!" Alex said in his newly panicked tone.

"What's the problem?" the Commander asked quietly.

"I beg pardon for speaking frankly, but Professor Leopold is a fucking quack, Sir! He's killing off all the staff! I need you to help me contain him! He's completely out of control! Ever since Project Hera got back-!"

"Project Hera returned?! Fuck! All right, send someone to my location and I'll be there as fast as I can! Does this mean that Project Zeus is dead?"

"I don't see why else she'd be back here! But, the Professor took her into an empty room before scanning her memories…"

The Commander swore violently and reached over to switch off the phone. Alex grinned and now saw why Agatha thought the human would be the perfect stud. The man clearly liked her whether he wanted to admit it or not. Commander Harrison didn't show any interest in the false situation until he mentioned her and Leopold being in an empty room together. And he had a rather high station. A bonus, if Alex didn't say so himself. Calling the proper authorities to collect the Commander to bring him to the station, he waited for the orders to be confirmed. He now recalled that it was Sergeant Thomas that was the pilot for the Commander before, but the man was in a rush. He'd pull strings to get where he needed to go. Maybe even pull rank.

Once the call was done, he settled back in the chair. He silently congratulated himself on a job well done. But now, he had to wait for Commander Harrison to appear. Only after the calls were made, did he go into the control room and have the satellite self-destruct in space to completely get rid of it. Getting up, he decided to start seeing which rooms would be the perfect place to trap him. And he decided to see which rooms would make the perfect nurseries.

Two hours passed by slowly, but he was used to being patient. He studied the defensive systems inside and out to help pass the time. He even found the duplicate cells of Agatha, but he decided not to destroy them. If something happened to her, he could bring her back with them. They could be vital. He even found the server that stored her duplicate memories, and he kept them safe, too. On searching for anything else, he grumbled when there truly were no other female hormones on the base. He just grinned when he knew how pleased Dana would be when she would have to help him. When the sound of a submarine boarding the station was heard, he assumed the guise of the Sergeant and ran over to meet the Commander. When the submarine was gone, Alex acted exasperated.

"Where are the others?! Where is Project Hera?" Commander Harrison frowned.

"This way! We managed to quarantine her!" Alex said and led him into one of the newly abandoned rooms. Then the door sealed behind them, and Alex appeared in his true form.

"Project…Zeus? Holy shit!" the Commander swore.

"Surprised? Don't be. You knew first hand that this was going to happen," Alex growled out. "I'd kill you here and now, but Agatha has other plans for you. You may enjoy them. Considering you'll be the only human able to fuck her…"

"What?!" Commander Harrison gaped.

"All the others on this station are dead. Done by yours truly," Alex snickered. "Agatha is currently getting the bomb removed from a very talented doctor that I trust more than my own life. Considering that he saved it several times before…"

"Doctor Bradley Ragland still lives?!"

"Yes. I give a shit about him. Agatha wants me to give a shit about you. As to why…well…like I said before. You'll be able to fuck her and give her the children needed to reproduce. You will help her and myself build an army. Whether you like it or not."

"I'll kill myself before I betray my country!"

"And what has your country ever given you? A paycheck combined with a sack of shit to sleep with? Really? Is that all you ever think of? Dying for your country? How about living for your country and wiping all the fucking maggots out of it?! Like the ones that take this country for granted? Or how about the ones that murder others without a cause for justice and simply wait in a cell until the courts let them go to do it again? Even the ones that abuse the law and get away with a simple slap on the wrist? You want to let them live while you suffer?"

"You're the same way! You wiped out everyone on this base!"

"Yes, I did. But, you knew what they were planning on doing with Agatha. Fuck, I even saw how you scrambled to get here as fast as you could when I told you that Leopold was going to fuck her!" Alex snarled out.

"I wanted to ensure that she wasn't going to be used outright on her first day back," the Commander argued. "She…deserved a break."

"That's bullshit and you know it. Think of it like this. You can keep a close eye on her this way. I suppose we could even come to you for advice, if needed. You do know the ins and outs of the government facilities. But don't think for a second that we'd let you go free. I'd rather slaughter you and consume your memories before granting you that chance."

"I'll kill myself! Before I let you or her use me as a pawn!"

"We are all pawns somewhere. Aren't we? Seriously? Well, if your mind is made up on wasting your own life…"

"I'll hang myself before I give in."

"Fine. I'll help you," Alex sneered, and he launched himself at Commander Harrison. Then he plastered the man to the wall with his own viral tissues. "Oops! Looks like you're stuck here. I'm sure you can survive the rest of the day without food or water. Don't worry. You won't be alone soon."

"You won't get away with this!" Commander Harrison shouted as he tried and failed to pry his arms and legs from the wall. The tissue was like rubber cement and hardened five times as fast. He was permanently stuck there for now. Then he scratched the Commander's skin to get a sample of his DNA for the base's computer systems and to keep an excess for emergencies.

"I just did. Now, I need to make sure that Agatha's heart is still beating and that the island isn't a charred wreckage. If you'll…excuse me for lack of being a proper host," he grinned and walked out of the room, ignoring the screams and swearing of the Commander.

He went to the main computer first to put in more of the Commander's DNA. He now brought out the samples of Ragland's DNA and Dana's DNA, and he put them in the system next. Heading to the cryo tube after that, he reprogrammed it easily with the key codes to accept the DNA of himself, Doctor Ragland and Dana. He withheld the Commander's DNA in case he tried to escape somehow. With it set for the same coordinates to the island, he entered it, let it freeze him and it took off back to the island.


	6. Chapter 6

The island was still in one piece. The cryo tube launched itself back up to where it stood before when it got to the island, and Alex stepped out of it. It was just past noon and he looked around grimly. Moving swiftly now, he made his way to the hospital where Dana was watching Ragland settle another wire into the heart of the other female with maximum precision.

"Alex!" Dana gasped, and he nodded to her.

"The underwater base is secured, and a certain Commander Harrison is trapped in a room. Dana, you need to get to the base and learn all about the systems. You can ignore the Commander until Ragland gets there, or until I get there. Best let Ragland deal with him. I'll take you to the cryo tube. Just send it back when you're done. You just have to hit the red button over the door, and it will come back on its own. Explore the place at your leisure, but remember. Don't free the Commander, or he'll kill you and himself. He's vital to me for now. If you want to feed him, then feed him. You don't have to, and he likely won't eat until he's downright starving," Alex said. "Oh, there were no female hormones found on the base. I need some of your blood. Please."

"Ugh! All right! Fine," she grumbled. A syringe was found and her blood was taken. Then she looked at him and said, "You owe me one for this!"

"Thanks. Now, are you ready to head to the base?"

"All right. Take me to the cryo tube. Oh, and Agatha's blood…cured me fully. Thanks," she said. Alex nodded, scooped up his former sister and darted out the doors with her. Taking her to the cryo tube, he showed her the button that needed to be pressed to send it back.

"Get there, explore and learn. I couldn't find a real form of communication that we could use to relay to each other. As for the satellite, I destroyed it. Now, go!" he growled.

"I'm going!" Dana nodded and slipped into the cryo tube. Once it launched off, he waited for it to come back. An hour later, it resurfaced with no passenger within it. Only after it settled back on the building and in front of him, did he turn and run back to the hospital. When he got there, he examined Agatha's body as she was cut open to reveal her innards.

She still breathed, and three of the four wires were removed. Ragland had managed to dislodge the bomb carefully from her skull first and had unwound it from her spine. Already, her body was healing from the damage the bomb had done from the implantation. He was right in removing the bomb first to free the wires from her spine. He needed to get enough slack to move the wires bound to her heart. The last wire was being moved to the other female now. He timed the beats carefully and swiftly moved the wire into its last resting place in the other female. Ragland breathed a sigh of relief as the hard part was over. All he had left to do was place the bomb into the other female, and they could dispose of her safely. Agatha was bomb free.

"I destroyed the satellite, so you no longer have a time limit. Let's finish the job," Alex said. "Oh, and before you ask, no, there is no cancellation button."

"Damn," Ragland breathed. "Well, for all it's worth, Agatha is free and clear. I'll stitch up this woman, and you can remove her from the island."

"That's what I want to hear," Alex nodded. When the surgery was done, Alex gathered up the unconscious female and took her to one of the few helicopters that still worked on the island. He kept it safe for emergencies like this. Pushing her body into the side cockpit, he flew the chopper up and over the ocean. Then he shoved her body out and flew the helicopter out of range. Once the woman drowned and her heart stopped, the explosion was intense.

Landing the helicopter back to where it was, he moved back to where Ragland was stitching up Agatha.

"I need Dana's female hormones isolated and injected into Agatha so she can become receptive for breeding. If you can do that for me, I'll take you to the cryo tube so you can get to the base," Alex said. He further told the doctor about the Commander that was imprisoned there. Ragland nodded before taking the blood from Alex to isolate the hormones needed. Once that shot was ready, it was injected into Agatha's regenerating body.

"All right. I'm eager to see this underwater base," Ragland said as he started to gather up anything he knew he would need to bring with him. Alex nodded and brought over the helicopter to help the doctor get to the cryo tube. He wasn't about to start running around with the man flung over his shoulder. He had his standards. Once they got there, he told Ragland how the cryo tube would come back.

"Press this button here to send it back so that Agatha and I can join up later," Alex said.

"Is there anyone else you plan to send over?" Ragland asked.

"Only those I give a shit about. You and Dana are the only ones. There shouldn't be any others," Alex shrugged. Ragland grinned and they shook hands before the doctor entered the cryo tube. An hour after it took off, it came back empty, and he was heading back to the hospital to see to Agatha. She was still unconscious, but her body was regenerating rapidly. He remember what she said about proteins being needed and he thought. He knew that there were some steaks left over in the kitchen area, and he had found those for Dana. He didn't need to eat. There was no real need for him to. If he truly did need something, he'd track down an infected human to consume or a Hunter.

He leaned against an operating table and waited. He didn't want to interrupt her regenerating process. She had gone through hell in only two days after fully waking up. He hated to admit it, but he gave a shit about her now. It was the closest thing he could come to caring about her. Closing his eyes as he thought about various things, he chuckled to himself that it took about three weeks for one infestation to start. Now another was going to happen within the same time frame three years later. Everything had to come in threes, didn't it?

"What's so funny?" Agatha asked, as she sat up to look at him. Her wounds were nearly gone, and the stitches were being naturally rejected by her body. In another few minutes, she wouldn't have a scar to show what happened.

"Hmm? Oh. Just how things are turning out. The underwater base is secure. Your bomb is gone, the satellite destroyed. Your toy is locked up in a room on the base, too. I already sent Dana and Ragland there. The cryo tube is here. It was a nice change," he grinned.

"Already? You move swiftly! At least I know that I'm no longer going to die. How did that slob handle you?" she smiled.

"Leopold? Let's just say that I let him try to get acquainted. Then I fucked him up as I consumed him. That was fun," he grinned even wider.

"He didn't even leave a bad taste in your mouth?"

"I felt the urge to vomit, but I don't vomit anymore."

"Ahh."

"Otherwise, things are starting to look up," he said, as he moved to her side.

"Always a good thing," she nodded and hopped off the examining table to move away from him to stretch. Watching her now, he paused as he realized something. Her scent was becoming rather intoxicating now.

"So…what do you want to do?" he asked as he tried to get close to her again.

"I'm a bit hungry, actually," she said, as she slipped away from him again. Her hair came alive and seemed to writhe over her. Her clothes were removed from the surgery, and she had to cover herself somehow. Her hair was being instinctive about it. It was the same thing that happened when she first came out of the tube in the underwater base.

"Come here and I'll help you find something," he said as he moved towards her.

"I don't know," she thought and moved away to head up to the main floor of the hospital. "I think I can find something for myself."

"Get back here," he growled in warning.

"Why?" she asked as she looked at him. Why wasn't she staying close to him?! It was like she was deliberately trying to get him to chase her! Then he blinked in thought. He tried to move to her side, and again she widened the distance.

"Do you want me to chase you?" he asked.

"Chase me? No! I just feel…odd…next to you…" she said.

"Odd?"

"It's like…this wanting feeling that I don't really want…"

"So, you want me, but you don't want me?"

"If that's what it is. Maybe," she shrugged.

"You do know that you were injected with my former sister's hormones before you woke up. Right? It's quite possible that you could be ready to breed."

"You think so? Huh. That could be it. But, I'm not ready to breed."

"I beg to differ," he growled, as her scent seemed to dance around him again.

"Maybe after I eat I'll feel better," she thought as she slipped away from him to find the kitchen area. He followed her and paused as he thought he saw something move over the window. Could it be that she wasn't only attracting him, but others as well? That couldn't be good. He would need to claim her now. When they got into the kitchen, he barricaded the door and launched himself at her. She shrieked from the surprise assault, and her hair moved to form the spiked wall to defend herself. He averted himself to leap behind her, and found that her hair had literally formed a spiked cocoon around her.

"Agatha!" he hissed. "We have to be together now! Other things are coming here!"

"No!" she growled out from within the spiked fortress. He was about to use force, but he paused. He would need to entice her out. He had to prove that he was different. That he was worthy. It was an instinctive thought and he went with it. Slowly, he let his hand move along one of the spikes to the base from where it stood out. The effect was drastic and she shivered.

"Come on, Agatha," he murmured roughly.

"No…" she muttered out a bit stubbornly.

"Let me in," he grounded out as he lightly touched along the surface of spiked cocoon again. She convulsed and her hair started to soften. He didn't stop to gloat. He needed to seed her and show everyone and everything that she was claimed. More soft touches and caresses were given, and her hair parted to reveal her crouched on the floor.

"Leave me alone…" she whimpered and gasped as he moved swiftly to cover her with his body. She was trembling with a form of fright, since she didn't know what to expect now.

"You know I can't do that," he muttered as he pushed her onto the floor. His body moved to coat over hers like a second skin, and she cried out at the sensation of brief pain before something thrusted sharply into her. After a moment of no movement from him, she felt his viral body tremble and something pulsed within her. He was seeding her and holding her still as he did it. The pain was able to melt away, but her heart was beating fast.

The moment he claimed her as his own, he felt the other presences outside the building filter away. This was his Queen. His mate. He felt her form quiver as he continued to fill her. How long was this going to last? He wasn't even sure. He was driven by pure instinct alone, and this was what his body was having him do. There was no real pleasure in it. He could try to make it pleasuring, but he wasn't sure how it would work. He had consumed enough humans to know what to do, and even his past human life could give him some ideas. Right now, though, it was all business. Maybe next time he would try something different.

For the better part of an hour, she was locked to him on the ground. When he finally moved off of her to reform in a crouch by her side, she was shivering.

"I…really need to eat something…" she frowned. That made him smirk, and he lifted her off the floor to set her in a chair. Searching the freezers, he found a frozen steak and stuck it in an oven to start heating it up. A couple more were pulled out to start thawing and he moved back to her side. She found herself leaning into him now, and he didn't mind it at all.

"I think we should change our names when we are alone," he mused.

"Oh? To what?"

"Zeus and Hera."

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

"Why is that?"

"Well, like a god, I'm practically immortal. In time, hopefully, you should be, too. You have my former sister's genetic hormones in you. Zeus and Hera were brother and sister. Then he took his sister as a wife. I think it's fitting."

"Maybe," she thought and winced at a sharp pain in her belly. He glanced down at her and ran a hand over her womb. Then he grinned.

"I feel them. Do you?"

"Them?! What are you talking about?!" she freaked.

"Our offspring. What else would I talk to you about? But, yes. I can feel them growing. Something growing, anyways. Multiples, in fact. It's like you were truly designed to breed, and I simply sped up the process."

"Less than two days old, and I'm already fit to be a breeding machine," she muttered. She winced again when her belly started to stretch.

"Hmm…" he thought and went to check on the steak in the oven. It was almost done and he turned to glance at her again. His eyes widened. Her belly was still stretching.

"I'm really starting to get hungry!" she growled out. Now he was getting concerned. She needed to feed on something. Anything at this point. Her pregnancy happened much too fast, and she was on an empty stomach. Bringing the half-cooked steak to her, she pounced it and tore into it ravenously. He threw the steaks he had thawing into the oven and thought. She just ate a form of raw meat. He didn't have to fully cook it.

"Will any form of meat work? Infected or not?" he asked.

"At this point, I doubt it would matter," she frowned. "I'm just…hungry."

"When these steaks are done, I'll see what else I can find," he nodded. She seemed to pout before wincing as her belly stretched again.

"What the fuck did you do to me?!" she hissed in pain.

"I have no clue," he said honestly. "This is a first for me."

"Zeus," she whimpered. "There's no way for you to see?"

"I'll try," he said, as he moved to her side to place a hand on her growing belly. Focusing a bit as though to find his DNA, he paused at what he discovered.

"Anything?" she asked.

"It's almost like…eggs," he frowned.

"Eggs?" she asked slowly.

"Yes. It would explain why there are so many, if you think about it."

"But, how many are there?"

"That's what I don't know. I just know that there are…a lot."

"Wonderful. Fucking lovely," she growled. He checked on the steaks and pulled them out to give to her. Bringing them to her, she ate them as ravenously as the first one despite how hot they were. They were still frozen in the center, but she didn't care. She needed to eat. He felt this urge to protect her now. She was carrying the first of their army, after all. He needed to get her more food. More proteins.

"Let me grab an infected human. Maybe a Hunter, too. We'll see how you fair with them," he said. "Maybe I'll just grab the Hunter first. More meat on them."

"Fine," she nodded. As he moved past her, he stopped to lightly caress her cheek before heading out. Blinking at him now, she watched his form speed off, and she ran a hand over her growing belly to wait for him.

The moment he got outside, he began to hunt. He wanted to bring down a large Hunter first. Maybe, if she needed more, he'd hunt a good sized infected human. Sprinting up to the top of the nearest building, he paused to watch the streets below. Then he moved towards one of the few hives that were left by the first infection. It was here that he found the Hunter he needed, and he brought it down quickly. He killed off any of the lesser ones that tried to interfere, and he hauled the massive body back to the hospital. Dragging the body into the kitchen, he blinked at Hera. Her belly had stretched a bit more while he was out.

"How do you want it? Like this? Or in pieces?" he asked.

"I can try to consume it, but I don't know if it will have the same effect as eating it," she said. Moving to her side to help her up, she gasped at the simple movement to stand. Then she nearly collapsed to the floor. He caught her up quickly before she toppled fully.

"Bedridden," he frowned and finally carried her back to the chair. "All right. I'll cut it into pieces. We'll try a small piece to see what happens."

"Okay," she nodded. Unveiling his clawed hands, he sliced into the corpse to remove a meaty bicep and she took it off the claw it dangled from. Tearing into it, she chewed lightly and thought. Then she took another bite. And then another.

"Anything?" he asked curiously.

"I'm eating it, aren't I?!" she growled and finished off the last piece. "I need more."

"I'll just bring you Hunters, then. Fuck the humans," he shrugged and continued to hack into the massive corpse to feed her small pieces. She managed to eat the whole thing, save the bones. He discarded them and looked back at her with surprise. She was sleeping now.

Thinking as he moved to her side, he lifted her up and was surprised at how light she still seemed, despite her growing belly and mass consumption of flesh. Her body was simply absorbing everything she was eating. It was time to find a nursery and to put her in a safe place while he searched. Then he blinked and thought. Couldn't the hospital work? Other creatures never really came this far out and only stayed in the central part of the city. There was also a military base that lay abandoned not far off. He clearly didn't want to leave her like this when she was so defenseless. Deciding to stick with the hospital, since he was already in it, anyways, he figured it would be the best place for her.

He felt her shudder and her belly stretched again. He moved her into one of the highest bedrooms of the building, and set her in the largest bed he could find. Sitting next to her, he placed his hands on her belly to monitor the eggs developing inside her. For the next six hours it was like this. Every hour, her belly stretched a touch more, and he continued to monitor her. When she finally stirred, she looked around at where she was before settling her gaze on him as he was focused on her belly. She was amazed at how large she was.

"How long did I sleep for?" she asked.

"Awake?" he frowned as he looked at her. "A good six hours or so."

"I see. Um…I'm hungry again," she said slowly.

"Again? All right. I'll go bring in some meat for you," he said. He paused as she snatched his hand to pull him back to her. "What is it?"

"Don't leave yet," she shivered and cringed.

"What's wrong?" he growled and she whimpered. Then she screamed as her body racked with pain. He hissed and felt her belly. Now his jaw dropped with the rare shock of surprise. She was ready to go into labor.

"Zeus!" she cried out and panted. He didn't know what to do. Then he switched to his instinct. He moved to a wall and planted his hands on it to let his viral tissue start to cover the surface. It spread to the ceiling, and now several large tentacles hung down with small gaps within them. They resembled small pockets for the eggs to fit in. If the tentacles were disturbed, they would coil up protectively to the ceiling. With that ready, he moved to assist with her labors. She heaved and he pulled out an egg as it emerged. Unable to examine it at the moment, he moved to place it in one of the gaps within the tentacles he made. This was what he had to do for the next fifty eggs. When the last one finally came out, her body sagged with exhaustion.

"Look," he whispered as he held up the egg to her. It fit in the palm of his hand, but was as large as a grapefruit. It was incredibly warm, as well as soft. She blinked at it curiously. It resembled a clear, plastic-like oval that was covered in protective mucus. In the clear shell was a fetus. And it was growing rather rapidly. There weren't any nutrient sacks, but then he noticed that it was absorbing the fluid in the egg slowly. The fluid itself was the food source, and that had him intrigued beyond belief. He moved to place it in a waiting tentacle, and he noticed that the lining of the tentacle tissue would expand with the fetus. When the egg hatched, the tentacle would be ready for the next batch.

She groaned softly and he moved to her side to hold her close.

"That was painful," she sighed. He watched her body regenerate back to the way she was before the birthing, and he ran a hand over her belly. She winced at the tenderness there, but she was healing all the same.

"Still hungry?" he asked. She nodded and shivered. He knew she was still incredibly weak and vulnerable. "How hungry are you?"

"I need to heal more," she sighed. "Is it always going to be like this? Less than a day after being with you, and I give birth to eggs?"

"It looks like it. Come to think of it…I have an urge to fuck you now…"

"Now? After just doing…this?! Are you insane?!" she hissed.

"Watch me," he grinned, and she cried out as he let his body cover over hers again. This was how their little army was going to start on the island. Their offspring were going to swarm out like a plague and kill everything in sight. They would cover this island to distract the military with a 'new' threat as the real threat would be hidden beneath the ocean. Right under their noses. All of this was playing out in his mind as he seeded her again. When he pulled away from her to watch her an hour later, she had her eyes closed. Now she opened them and looked at him helplessly.

"You're going to end up killing me," she whispered. She could feel the new eggs forming already. She also knew that there were more of them.

"No. You were made for this. You were made for me," he whispered back as his hand rested on her belly. "This is your purpose. To get back at those sons of bitches that fucked us over for too long!"

She whimpered and he held her tight to him now. Looking out the window to judge the time, he thought. They would have to get to the underwater base soon. The drones they just created would hatch and cause chaos on their own level. After she birthed this next set of eggs, he would take her to the underwater base and see to the Commander. He had a feeling that she would be able to break him in her own way. Usually, his feelings were always right.

"I'm starving now," she gasped as she trembled.

"I'll hunt for you," he nodded and managed to press a small kiss to her forehead. He needed to try and start showing some form of affection for her. It would strengthen their bond and show that he gave more than just a shit for her. After he left the room, she gave a weak smile to herself. He was always reliable. At least she could depend on him for that.


	7. Chapter 7

It was another two days before she was fit enough to go to the cryo tube. He had to fight every instinct he had to breed with her again and it was complete torture. He knew she had made over a hundred eggs, and they would likely hatch within the next week. It could be even sooner than that with how fast they were developing. He kept one of their eggs with them from the second batch they made together so Ragland could study it, and so they could see how the fetal egg grew and hatched.

She had dressed back in her white camouflage clothing to be somewhat presentable to the others. He pressed a kiss to her mouth as she went into the cryo tube and he launched it. He knew she was going to go straight to Commander Harrison to see how he was. She needed to make sure her prized stud male was in peak health condition. Their old names would also be used, since they wouldn't be alone. He liked being called Zeus, but that was only for them to hear. Not for the others.

When she got there, Ragland let her out of the tube and it was sent back for Alex. She nodded to Dana and moved into the room the Commander was trapped in. What she saw was a sad fate. He badly needed a shower and a shave. There was no way he could have used a bathroom, so he had to urinate in his clothes. Ragland did manage to clean him up as much as he could when the man was passed out. He had refused all forms of food or water, and Ragland was almost at the point of getting a feeding tube into his gut just to force him to live. The honor bound man had tried to sway them away from the want to help Alex with what he wanted. It simply didn't work with them.

"Commander Harrison?" she asked, as she walked over to him. He was still strained against the wall and he coughed. He was at his limit and was ready to simply give in. She knew he would be rather easy to break now. Especially, since he would be speaking with her.

"Project…Hera? Agatha?" he asked weakly.

"Hush now. It's all right. I'm here," she whispered and moved to lightly touch a hand to his chest. The shirt and coat were pulled apart to show bare flesh as Ragland was preparing to run the feeding tube into him. He gasped and heaved with a form of relief.

"No one would…tell me…where you were…" he whimpered out.

"Commander…" she smiled softly. "I was doing my job. You of all people should know that. And worried about me? Why?"

"Just…at least…" he trembled as his gut rumbled furiously. Ragland brought her some food and water for him. Nodding to him, she stood up close to the trapped man and sighed.

"Will you eat for me? Drink for me? I don't want you to die," she said.

"But…you'll use me…against…my country…" he whispered. When she brought the water to his lips, all he could do was drink down the cool liquid. The instinct to survive was too strong to resist now. The moment the water touched his parched mouth, he gave in. The food was soft and easy for him to digest. It was also very tasty, and he accepted it readily. She alternated between food and water until she knew he had enough. Ragland saw this and nodded to her to leave them alone in the room. Once the emergency was averted of losing her prized stud male, she was ready to talk to him and brief him on certain viewpoints.

"My dear Commander Harrison," she smiled as she stroked his cheek fondly. "You won't be used against your country. You'll be used to help change it. For the better. And you will be right there with me as it happens."

"Change it?" he asked weakly. "Make the country…better?"

"Yes. Now, I will have…Alex…remove these bonds so you can shower and get cleaned up. I'm sure you need to exercise your limbs now, and I don't want you to be weak. You need to make yourself strong again. But…just remember…"

"Remember what?" he asked as he tried to focus.

"If you betray me even once…" she said as she narrowed her eyes. "I will have you killed. Regardless of what it is about, and no matter how much I like you."

"I swear I won't betray you," he promised without even thinking. He was always a man of his word. "But, wasn't your job to defeat Project Zeus? I mean…well…"

"He saved my life by removing the bomb from my body," she said. "In return, I joined up with him. And, yes…I have given him offspring. They are on the island to draw attention away from us. As to what they look like, I don't know yet. I seem to give birth to…eggs."

"You…already had sex with that…with him?" his jaw dropped. "And now you…why did I agree to never betray you?!"

"Because you like me," she purred and ran a hand over his lightly bearded jaw. He shivered and it wasn't with disgust. "And I've been extremely curious as to how a human can make me feel when it comes to sex. Don't you want to help me with that?"

"But…any children that we make…"

"Will be protected," she promised. "Remember what Leopold said? Only children that come from humans will be able to reproduce. The ones I create with Alex are supposed to be sexless drones. Offspring made to attack and kill. They have no need for protection. They can protect themselves, as well as us. They are our soldiers. You are to make future breeders with me. Little princes and princesses. They will be kept safe."

"What happens when they are grown?"

"They will be sent out into the world to make their own nests. Their own families. I don't know how fast they will grow, or how fast they will learn. You can help teach them how to survive. How to protect themselves. I'm not sure what they will know, but…don't you want to help them and care for them as much as you can? Especially, if they will not be with us for very long? Surely you want to be some form of a father figure. Don't you?"

"Damn you…" he growled and hung his head. She got to him now. He always did want to be a family man, but he never really wanted to have the family for very long. With her, he could do just that. Raise the children just enough and send them out. He didn't know how many children she would give him, or how many at a time.

"I think Alex is here," she crooned and moved away.

"Wait," he said.

"Yes?"

"How many…offspring…did you leave on that island? How many eggs?"

"Over a hundred in less than three days," she grinned softly. "It was painful, but very rewarding. And I had to eat quite a few infected creatures to get the proteins I needed."

"Over…a hundred?!" he hissed.

"I don't know what it will be like with you. We'll have to see. Won't we?" she smiled and turned as Alex opened the door. He moved to her side to kiss her possessively, and he glared at the man on the wall.

"Is he joining us?" Alex asked.

"He is. Free him. He knows what will happen if he betrays me even once," she nodded.

"Fine," Alex grumbled. He reached up, touched the hardened flesh locks around the man's limbs and removed them. The Commander fell to the ground weakly, and Agatha moved to help him stand. He had to lean on her heavily just to do that.

"Get Ragland? He can help him recuperate," she said. Alex nodded and left the room.

"Agatha…" Commander Harrison sighed. "I don't want you to call me Commander all the time. Just…call me Robert. I'm going to have to head back to my place on land to gather some of my other personal belongings. I'll bring them here. I have other military uniforms, and I know I'm going to have to contact a few people to let them know I'm all right. As I said before…I won't betray you. I locked myself into this. I'm a man of my word."

"I will have Alex's sister, Dana, accompany you to help you. She is trustworthy," Agatha nodded. "And she can help you, since you are a bit weakened."

"Yeah. I met her. She's a good girl," he nodded. "Crazy for helping you both, but she's a good girl. The doctor is good, too. Kinda glad I didn't need a feeding tube in my gut."

"That's why I wanted to talk to you first. Now, let's get you cleaned up and presentable for the submarine that will escort you and Dana back to land. Shall we?" she asked.

"We have no way of communication from here other than the video phones, right?" he asked. "And the signal used on the video phones could be traced somehow. I may be able to get ahold of something a bit more secure."

"Any ideas that you have would be wonderful," she said with a smile, and he felt somewhat pleased that he made her happy. "Now, quit your bitching and let's get you back up to where you were strength-wise. Come on."

"Right," he grinned. The food and water he just had was making him feel more and more like his old self. It was going to take a couple days for him to get back to where he was. Or was it? He actually felt that he was getting better just by moving around again. She took him over to Ragland first so he could evaluate Robert. Once the health check was confirmed, Ragland took over to help Robert bathe and get into some decent clothes.

"I'm ready to leave when he is!" Dana said, as she walked over.

"Give him some time. He needs to recuperate, and that may be a day or two," Agatha nodded. Ragland walked over to them, and Alex showed him the egg he made with her.

"Incredible!" the doctor blinked. "May I study it?"

"As long as you don't open it, do what you want. We haven't seen them develop or hatch yet. I think this is a drone. They all look the same when she births them," Alex said.

"She gave birth to that?" Dana blinked.

"Over a hundred of them in three days," Agatha smirked. Dana gaped and stared at Alex.

"What?" Alex growled at her and looked at Ragland. "Did you give the Commander a shot of blood? To keep him from getting infected?"

"I did when he was passed out," Ragland nodded. "Don't worry about that."  
"There is one thing that bothers me," Agatha frowned.

"What's that?" Alex asked.

"I don't know if I'll require another breeding stud. I mean…if the ones I produce with Robert see themselves as true brother and sister, they might not breed. It may not happen, but it's a thought," she said.

"Well, you were derived from my DNA. That makes you practically my sister. And you have Dana's hormones in you. She was my human sister. We fuck just fine and can reproduce. I don't think it will be a problem," Alex grinned. "Speaking of fucking…"

"Not here!" Agatha gasped, as he flung her over his shoulder and sped off to a different room with her. When he placed her on the ground, she stopped him with her spiked hair.

"What?!" he snarled.

"There are not enough proteins for me here!" she snarled back. That made him pause and he swore. He would need to make trips to the island, slaughter several Hunters and jam them into the cryo tube to keep a healthy supply of meat handy. This was going to be tough.

"Fine. I'll head back to the island and hunt down enough Hunters to fill a meat locker here. Just for you. I can use the cryo tube to send them back here. Fuck…what a pain in the ass!" he growled. The urge to seed her was incredibly strong, but he had to force it back. He needed a stable meat solution for her first. She was right. He agreed that it would have to wait, and her spikes went back down to normal hair. Gathering her up, he took her back to the others.

"Finished already?" Ragland chuckled.

"I got cock-blocked," Alex muttered. "I need to go back to the island and kill a few Hunters. I'll need your help in emptying the cryo tube and have you send it back to me. She needs a ton of meat during her pregnancies. Protein is the key to her having a stable body for it. She gets ravenously hungry. Hunter flesh is always abundant and plentiful on the island."

"I see," Ragland thought. "I'm sure we can convert one of the spare rooms into a decent meat locker. Dana is skilled enough to reroute some of the refrigeration to the room."

"I can help do that, too," Alex nodded. "Let's do that first so the room will be cold when I start transporting the meat."

"How is Robert?" Agatha asked.

"He's finishing up and dressing now. He has made a marvelous recovery. I think your blood had something to do with that. It may have also kept him alive all this time," Ragland mused. "Anyways, I ran some tests on your egg. The machines here are incredible! I got results within minutes! It is a sexless drone, as you have thought. But, I made another discovery."

"Oh?" Alex asked.

"Apparently, it inherited one method of attack. That whip-claw you have. It has it. I'm sure the other drones you made have one specific style of attack as well. I'm not sure about its speed, but the drones would be working together to take down various things if they only have one specific skill of yours," Ragland said.

"That's…surprising," Alex admitted.

"Probably why I made so many eggs. Better chances for survival," Agatha smiled.

"True," Alex said. "We were also thinking that you could inject various mutations and other DNA attributes into them to make them stronger. We can sacrifice a few eggs for experiments. As for breeding offspring, we won't touch them. If she births them in mass quantities, we'll see. I don't know how many she'll have. Drones are another story."

"Really? Well, let's leave this drone alone to study how it grows. I'm sure that more eggs will be produced soon, and we'll be able to do a bit more with them," Ragland said.

"This is so creepy!" Dana shivered. "It's like I just walked into a science fiction horror film! But, I gotta admit, I'm curious."

"Let's get that room converted into a fridge so I can start fucking my mate," Alex muttered. Agatha shook her head with a smile. Her scent was kicking him, and he wanted to get the room stocked with as much fresh meat as possible. As he and Dana started to work on that, Agatha sat back in a chair to finally relax. Then she blinked as a clean-shaven Commander moved to sit by her. He was wearing a lab coat, as his military clothing was being cleaned in the base's Laundromat.

"Feel better?" she asked.

"Much," he admitted. "I thought I lost a bit of muscle-mass when I was hung up on that wall. I…honestly don't think I lost anything."

"Ah. Well, Ragland thinks my blood may have stopped you from changing much. It may also be the reason you're alive," she chuckled.

"Your blood?"

"Yes. You were injected with it while you were passed out some time ago. My blood keeps you from getting infected. Apparently, it also keeps you alive, and it keeps your body from getting too weak."

"I…son of a bitch!" he swore. "That would explain it. I feel almost as though I just got out of bed to start a new day. Like none of that shit ever happened to me! Anyways, what's the plan? Like I said to you before, I'm not gonna betray you."

"I know you won't, Robert," she smiled. "What's going on right now is simple. A room is being converted into a giant refrigerator. Alex is going to go back to the island to kill a lot of things, cut them up and pack them into the cryo tube. Those body parts will be sent here and stored for me to eat during my pregnancies."

"That cryo tube? Huh. I know the military is keeping a close watch on the island. Why hasn't it been discovered yet?"

"That's a good question!" she blinked. "We'll have to ask Alex when he gets back from hunting for me."

"That we should. So, you eat other infected things while pregnant with him? Hmm. I should see about getting some cattle down here. I don't know if you'll be able to eat infected meat with my kids in you. It's just a thought," he said. She blinked and now thought about it.

"You may be right," she said, as she pushed the thought around in her head. "I eat a ton of flesh, though. I don't know how much meat I'd need with your children."

"Are you pregnant now?" he asked.

"No. I need to have a room secured for meat before anything can happen. I get ravenous when I'm pregnant. To a point that it truly hurts."

"Oh. I was going to see if you wanted to try it with me, but if you need to eat the moment you get pregnant, then we'd have to wait," he sighed.

"You want to fuck me that bad?" she mused.

"I've been wanting to fuck you since I first saw you!"

"Now why would that be?"

"Well…" he paused. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life. You can survive and handle yourself well on and in the field of battle. Your training tests showed me that. You can also swear like a sailor and not feel ashamed by it."

"So, you like a girl with a dirty mouth?" she grinned.

"More or less," he grinned back. "It shows that you don't give a shit about anyone, and you will always get the job done."

"You know…" she mused. "Within my first twenty-four hours of being on the island to hunt down Alex, he became strong enough to resist me. Remember how Leopold shoved me into the cryo tube before I left?"

"Yes. I wanted to kill him for it!"

"Well…" she sighed. "Apparently, one of my strands of hair got smashed in the door. It got separated from my body and was left behind. Alex found it and got stronger than me by consuming it. It was also how he found out he couldn't kill me. He also learned of everything I learned earlier that day. He was able to see my memories and learn from them."

"If Leopold wasn't already dead, I would have easily done the honors of executing him!"

"Oh?"

"He fucked everything over for us in the end!" Robert grimaced.

"I likely would never have seen you if I had gotten back alive," she said. He looked at her now, and realized that she was right. She would have been kept from him. The moment he showed an interest in her, it marked him as someone to be wary of.

"I would have found a way to get to you."

"You think so?"

"I have extremely high connections. I am one of the most recommended Commanders in my field of expertise. I know people."

"But, all people can eventually die. Besides, who would want to know that you were interested in fucking a form of virus?" she grinned.

"Need to know basis," he smirked. "Besides, you're an antivirus. Not a true virus."

"And what would you have done if I had children with you then?"

"Hmm. Probably hid them from others. Or…likely destroyed them."

"You would have…destroyed…" she blinked with horror. Alex was about to walk into the room, but he paused and stood alongside the doorway to listen in.

"That was if things didn't go this way. I would have had no other choice. I would have had to destroy them. If they were truly corrupted creatures that were hell bent on destroying everything they touched, then I would have had no other option! They could have been confiscated and sold off! Or…or even worse, and I wouldn't want that."

"I see what you mean. But, how do I know that you won't do that to any of our children now?" she asked. "How would I know?"

"That would be an act of betraying you, which I said I wouldn't do. And, as much as I hate the fact that my sperm would be used to help destroy the world, I…I wouldn't be able to kill my own kids. If I'm going to be raising them myself with you, I'll know they'll be raised somewhat right. At least, that's what I'm telling myself. Come to think of it, I doubt I could harm them, anyways. It would hurt too much."

"And I'd kill you if you tried!" Alex snarled, as he walked out from where he was listening in. "The room is complete. I'm going to go hunting. Commander. What I send back here, you will need to help transfer the meat from the cryo tube to the room. Then send the cryo tube back to the island so I can send more. When I come back, you and Dana will leave via the submarine. You will tell no one of what is going on here!"

"I won't betray her. I won't betray you, either, since that would be betraying her. I don't like you. I like her. I'll do as she says. Not what you say," Robert said with a grim look.

"Then don't betray anything about this base, me, Alex or anyone else," Agatha said softly. "Play your cards right, and I may be able give you the chance to be with me when you come back. I should be free by then. Hopefully."

"Why not now?" Robert asked.

"As you said, I may need untainted meat. You will have to help me obtain that. There is only so much here that can't be eaten, as it is needed for the doctor and Dana. As well as yourself. Do what you need to do on land. Then come back here with Dana," she said.

"Very well. You could see if some fishing can be done, since you're underwater. It's worth a shot. As for me getting supplies from the military, that's something I won't touch, but I'll see what other strings I can pull," Robert said. "Like I said before, I know people."

"Thank you," she said with a smile. Alex hated the human already. He moved swiftly to her side, pulled her to him and planted a hot kiss on her mouth. It was a message to Robert to show that this female didn't belong to him. She was only going to be on loan when the time was right. The urge to breed with her was getting to be excruciatingly painful now. He pulled away from her as he gasped with control. Now he moved far from her to the cryo tube to send himself off to hunt. Robert had watched the whole thing with jealousy.

"I hate him," he growled.

"I think he hates you, too," she shrugged. "At least you both share a common interest."

"Fuck that!" he snarled out and she laughed. "I should just fuck you and let him get pissed about it."

"And what will you feed me?"

"Ugh…" he muttered. "You'd eat the entire base of everything, wouldn't you?"

"I don't know. I've never been impregnated by a human before," she chuckled. "I'd rather be safe than sorry, as they say."

"True. I'll probably have some form of fresh cattle sent down. A breeding pair of them with a couple extras. If it's even possible."

"It would help," she nodded.

"How do I check on my office from here?"

"I wouldn't know," she said. Dana walked over to them with a smile.

"What's going on?" Dana asked.

"I need to see what's going on with my office. I don't know how," he sighed.

"I know how! Follow me!" Dana said. Robert nodded and moved to follow her. Agatha sat back again to rest. She was starting to get hungry, but she had to wait. Glancing around, she moved from where she was and found herself going to the tank that first held her. It was cleaned out, sterilized and ready to accept something else if needed. She felt a bit nostalgic on looking at it. It was her place of creation and birth, in a sense. She turned as she heard the sound of the cryo tube returning, and the smell of fresh Hunter meat reached her. Her stomach grumbled, but she ignored it. She could hold out a bit longer. Deciding to explore a bit more, she figured it would keep her mind preoccupied.

She endured the hunger pains for the next two cryo trips before she gave in. She had to eat something now. Finding the room the meat was being stored in, she picked up half an arm and tore into it. She blinked as she found arms moving around her waist, but she knew who it was. Alex had returned and sought her out.

"Hungry?" he asked as he breathed in her scent. He was losing his resolve now.

"Starved! Not because I'm pregnant, though. Which I'm not," she said lightly. "Just really hungry. That's all."

"Well, I think it's time to make you ravenous," he grinned, pulled the half-eaten muscle from her and tossed it aside. He had chosen this room specifically, since right next to it was a sleeping chamber. It would be easy to bring her the meat she needed this way, and the only way to reach it was through the new meat locker. Practically dragging her into the room was easy. He removed her clothes, tossed them aside and covered over her body now. She cried out as he seeded her, and this time he was able to give her pleasure with it. When she heard someone approaching, her hair moved swiftly, the tentacles forming into a cocoon around them and spikes formed to keep the intruders back.

Alex had nearly reformed to attack, but what she did was enough to have him refocus on seeding her. This was what he was aiming for over the past few days, and he gave in to what he was denying himself for so long. After an hour of being with her, he reformed at her side, but her cocoon was still in effect.

"I missed you," she sighed, and he ran a hand over her form.

"I tried not to be gone too long," he sighed back. "You tend to worry a lot."

"Of course, I do!" she said, and her hair finally softened to reform around her. "Oh, do you know why the cryo tube is always undetected by the military?"

"Hmm…" he thought, as he searched the memories. "Ah. The cryo tube has a matching pattern built into it that matches military radar. It slips right through undetected. Courtesy of Leopold and his late staff."

"That would make sense! What else did you do on the island?"

"I checked on our first batch of offspring," he said.

"Did you? What did you find?"

"I brought one of them here for Ragland to study. Come on," he smiled. "I'll show you."

Nodding to him, she rose up and winced as her belly stretched. He moved to rip off the bed sheet and cover her with it loosely to make room for her growing womb. Clothing would need to be made for her while she was pregnant. He didn't really want anyone else to see her naked. The Commander was one thing, since it was needed. He saw her naked when he first saw her, anyways. Even Ragland had a glimpse during the surgery, as well as Dana. He didn't want anyone else to have the privilege of seeing her fully naked after that.

He escorted her to the medical wing of the base, and she blinked at the size of the egg now from her first clutch. It was ten times larger than the one next to it. The child inside the first egg was easily past the newborn stage and still developing. It was going to be something of a teenager when it hatched. Maybe even a young adult. Clearly sexless, it showed it had the weapon of both arms being deadly hammers to crush and knock out foes with. The chest was becoming rather developed for the strength of the attacks, and its legs were far more developed for jumping attacks if needed. It was going to be a rather ruthless drone. The eyes were closed as though it was sleeping, and a head of short, black hair covered it. The rest of its features could easily pass as human.

"Incredible!" she breathed.

"That it is!" Ragland agreed as he looked over his charts. "It lacks genitalia, rectal area and the hormones of male or female. I doubt it would even need to feed. No real internal organs, either, save eyes, a brain and a beating heart with lungs. It does appear to have some form of vocal cords, but that's it. It doesn't appear to have a real form of intelligence, though we could be wrong. It would be working mainly off of instinct alone. A very deadly and effective weapon the two of you made!"

"I find it odd that the first egg we brought you hasn't quite developed yet," Agatha frowned. Ragland blinked in thought. "It was made about seven hours after this one."

"Come to think of it," Alex frowned. "The ones from our second batch are still small. Now I'm starting to wonder if they will develop in waves. That could slow us down."

"Actually," Ragland said. "You may be right. But, if that's the case, they may develop swiftly. All we can do is wait and see."

"Well, she's pregnant again. I'm going to prepare a chamber for her eggs. Where is Dana? Or the Commander, for that matter?" Alex asked.  
"They are getting ready to leave. Dana went to find you, but figured you were busy from that cocoon you were in," Ragland said.

"I'm here now!" Dana said, as she walked over to them. "Robert said he'd take me clothes and food shopping while we were out there. I could pass as his niece if I wanted to."

"Fine. I still have the body of Sergeant Thomas in my system. I'll call the submarine and let them know what will happen," Alex said. "First thing's first, though."

"Right," Agatha said as she winced. Dana's eyes widened as she saw Agatha's belly stretch right in front of her. Alex gathered up Agatha carefully. She was going to be bedridden soon, and he didn't want her to walk around too much. He carried her back to the bed chamber that was reached through the meat locker. He was followed by Ragland and Dana. They wanted to see what was going to happen. Setting Agatha on the bed, he moved to the wall to let his viral flesh coat it quickly. The tentacle nursery formed, and a good twenty of the hanging gaps of viral flesh hung down. Each of them could carry up to fifty eggs at a time.

"Amazing!" Ragland said. "Could you make one in the lab? To protect the eggs we'll be working on in there?"

"Sure," Alex nodded. He moved to do that, and Dana sat on the edge of the bed to look at Agatha. The inhuman, pale woman sighed and winced as her belly grew again.

"Wow. I heard what Alex said about you being a breeding machine, but I didn't believe it!" Dana said. "Are you okay?"

"A bit hungry. Could you grab me a leg, please?" Agatha asked.

"Sure!" Dana said. It was retrieved and hauled back to her. "This thing…is heavy!"

"Really? I didn't notice," Agatha chuckled. She let her hair form into a mass of tentacles and snatch up the large, meaty piece for her. "I don't really lift much myself, as you can see."

"I read about what they were going to do to you if you managed to kill my brother. I'm glad it didn't work out the way they wanted and it's this way. When are you giving birth?"

"Less than ten hours from now. I think. I'm fairly sure that any drone I birth will see you as family and will protect you. I did have an idea."

"What idea?"

"You could keep some of our strongest drones at your side. Clothe them like children, and they could protect you if you have to go somewhere. Maybe one of each type. I'm sure they would all look different. Since my blood is in you, they would see you as a part of me," Agatha thought aloud. "Maybe even have a personal escort."

"I like that idea," Alex said, as he walked back in to rest a hand on her growing belly. "Dana. Robert is ready to head back. I contacted the submarine. It will be here shortly. They are on a 'don't ask, don't tell' order. I think they always were. Go with him and come back safely. Don't waste any time."

"Right," Dana nodded. "We'll see what we can pick up for communication. You shouldn't have destroyed that satellite. We could have used it for that."

"Fuck! You're right. Ah, well. We can hijack another satellite that isn't in use. I'm sure the Commander can find one. Not all sure how I contacted the submarine, but they likely have their own form of communication to keep from getting tracked. All through radio, if that's the case. Anyways, the Commander said he had connections. Maybe he can use one, if he has a favor that can be called in," he said. "Hopefully."

"I'll ask him. Okay, I'll see you guys later!" Dana said, as she jumped up and moved out of the room to find Robert. Now that they were alone, Alex could finally get a touch more intimate with his mate.

"Hera," he whispered, as he kissed her forehead. "I have been thinking…"

"Yes, Zeus?" she asked.

"This place is going to get rather crowded. We will need to find a way to transport a good portion of our drones to land. Either that, or teach them how to swim."

"I'm sure Ragland can introduce a strain of fish DNA into them. Maybe they can grow gills? Maybe wings? Attack from air, land and sea?" she smiled.

"We can try that," he grinned. "Attack from all areas. Maybe have a few of them be able to dig and tunnel their way into the enemy lines?"

"That sounds like fun!" she giggled and winced as her belly stretched even more. "Zeus, you notice that I always seem to make far more eggs than before?"

"I have. And I noticed that each egg seems a bit more…developed? As though made stronger each time. As though each time I fuck you, they progress that much more. I like it!"

"I'm sure you do, but you don't have to birth them!"

"True. But it's fun all the same."

"Maybe," she sighed. "I'm hungry again."

"I'll grab you something," he said and moved swiftly to reappear at her side with a large forearm. Watching her tear into it, he pressed a hand to her belly again. Then he looked up to find a speechless Commander staring at her growing womb, and he snarled out with irritation, "What do you want?!"

"Oh! Well…the submarine will be here shortly. I'm going to head to my house first to gather what I needed. Then I was going to do some phone calls to those that need to hear from me. After that, I was going to take Dana shopping and see about getting some cattle sent down here. I'll likely return with her and the cattle. A form of communication will be seen to as well. Dana told me that we could use a dormant satellite, and I think I know of one we can use. It will be tricky to get it, though. I'll have to convince a man I know for the codes to get it operational. He owes me a couple favors, anyways."

"If you can't, tell me. I'll simply consume him and learn the codes myself," Alex grinned. "It may be easier that way."

"I'd rather not," Robert admitted. "If he goes missing, everyone would be on a man-hunt for him. He's not the President, but he is someone pretty high up on that ladder. I have some good standing with him. I'm sure I can convince him."

"If not, I'll take it from him," Alex growled.

"Of course," Robert said. He looked at Agatha again and he nodded to her. "I'll be back as quickly as I can."

"You have less than ten hours before I go into labor. Then I'll be free for you," she said.

"I'll leave now. I believe the submarine is here," Robert said. When he left, Alex relaxed and muttered to himself.

"What was that?" she asked.

"I'll have drones with him every time he goes out from this point forward," he said. "I still don't trust him. I'm worried for Dana's safety with him."

"He'll be fine. Trust me in this, at least. I know," she smiled. She placed her hand over his and he sighed. He knew she was right. He watched her finish eating, and he took the bones from her to place in a trash receptacle. On returning to her side, he found her sleeping. Moving to rest his hands on her belly to monitor her as he always had, he let time slip by unnoticed.


	8. Chapter 8

On the surface, Dana and Robert had managed to make it to his house safely. She helped him grab anything he would need for staying in one place for several months. The house would be kept up by the maid that came in once a week. The woman kept up his home for a year when he was stationed overseas at one point. The older woman was trustworthy.

"If I end up staying longer, I may just sell the house," Robert sighed, as he fixed up a small lunch. "Only problem is that, if I sell the house, I'll be questioned as to why."

"Can't you have a few drones or a couple of your kids stay here?" Dana asked.

"That's not a bad idea," he mused. "But, my house would be used as a breeding area. Wouldn't it? I just…I don't know."

"Well, either we use it or it gets confiscated and liquidated. That's your choice."

"Ugh," he grimaced. "Just thinking about it hurts. Still, I could say that they're tenants. I've done it before. I'll have to think about it. All right, I need to make a few phone calls. Keep packing up when you're done eating. Hopefully, it won't take that long. If anyone else tries to call or knocks on the door, remember! I'm your uncle!"

"Gotcha!" Dana nodded, and she finished her sandwich. He went up to his small office and realized that he would need to pack up a good portion of the paperwork here. Checking his messages, he grimaced at how many he had to return. For the better part of two hours, he called and spoke with various officials and military officers to explain that he was called away to an emergency meeting, and he apologized for the lack of contact. He further explained that he had to relocate his office to a more stable area, since he believed he was under attack. The story worked. He was never known to lie. He kept his expression on each video conference call grim, stern and honest. He was always known to get right down to business. When he called up the man he needed for the satellite, he relayed his story grimly.

"You were always one to make enemies," the older Commander said.

"Well, you know how that goes, John," Robert chuckled. "Oh, I'm going to need an emergency form of communication. I think you know what I'm talking about, too."

"Oh? Ah! You mean the old junk satellite? As long as it's not used for attacking with, communication should be simple and easy to do. No one would notice it, and they'd think it's a recycled cellular satellite. I could even have the satellite delete its own signal history to throw off anyone that tries to hack into it. How long do you need it for?"

"Not sure. Could be permanent. I'll be on the move quite a bit. At least with a satellite, if I need to be reached, I can be reached. I have some other informants that are on my side that may be using it, too. All classified and the usual bullshit. You know how it goes."

"Right, right," John said, as his dark brown eyes were thoughtful. "Well, Robert, I guess I can see about getting that old broad fired up for you. I do owe you that favor when you saved my ass at the Pentagon."

"I'm just glad I found your speech notes before the press conference. I'm sure a teleprompter speech written by half-asses would have looked excellent on your resume," Robert grinned. "You know how badly they like to put their minds into speeches."

"Shut the fuck up, you sly fox!" John grinned back. "All right. It will be operational in the next twenty-four hours. I can send you a set of phones that will work with it. Oh, where will I be sending them?"

"Just send them to the house. If you can send them faster, such as within the next four hours, it would be appreciated. I'm packing up as much as I can to go into hiding. I'd tell you where I was going, but, eh…information tends to leak."

"True. It's just…so sudden. You know? But, shit happens. You've never been wrong before. I'll do what I can to expedite the phones to you."

"If you can send me some back-ups of the phones, it would be appreciated, too. I'll never know when I'll need them. My niece is here with me and can sign off on them. Normally, I don't involve family in this, but, apparently, she's a target, too. She came out to visit me and was caught at the wrong place and time. We are both going into hiding. Just by her being with me made her a target."

"All right. I can do that. Just stay safe. All of this will be over soon enough," John said as the phone disconnected and the screen went dark.

"I know," Robert said grimly as he hung up his phone. No one would ever believe him if he said he was literally going to be sleeping with the enemy. A few more calls were made and he was done. Heading down the stairs, he told Dana what was going on.  
"Awesome!" she said. "So, four phones, an old satellite and we need to pack up your office. Let's get that done and we'll see what else we need to do."

"Right," Robert nodded. He had plenty of packing materials in his garage and they were quickly put to use. His car was large enough to take most of the luggage and paperwork, so he had to look over what he really needed and didn't need. The problem was that he needed everything. The harbor to get to the submarine was a good thirty minute drive away and he'd waste time making trips.

"Can't you put some stuff on top of the car?" she asked.

"You'd think an SUV would hold enough, huh?" he frowned. "I could call a buddy of mine, but he'll want to know what's going on. I can't have that. Anyways, let's get some shopping done. It'll kill a couple hours, and I can see who to contact about livestock."

"All right. Let's go," Dana said. He drove them to a special market just outside of town, and he had Dana shop for a good supply of food. He did tell her to try to be somewhat thrifty, since it was his credit card she'd be using. He searched for a rancher that he knew of and found the man easily. He told him what he needed. He was in luck. A few good cows and a bull were for sale. It was a hefty price, but he knew it would be needed.

Thanking his own past thinking for having built up a good savings account in an account that wasn't military based for tracking, a quick trip to the bank got him the cash he needed to pay for the livestock. Having them shipped with the food to the harbor, he stopped by a clothing store next. Various bolts of fabric and sewing kits were purchased now, and he had them sent to the harbor labeled for military use. He gave them the address to the dockside they would need to be at, and they promised the purchases would be there within the next two hours. After that, he drove back with Dana. As they were about to load up, he thought over everything he still may need to get. He forgot about one major important stop.

"Shit!" he growled out.  
"What?" she asked.  
"I still have to go to my office at the base and look over what I'll need there!"

"Really?"

"Yes. I can't have you come with me, either. Strictly personnel and such. Fuck! All right, just stay here, let me head to the base and get what I need. I'll call you from my office if I can. Shouldn't be more than a couple hours or less."

"You're sure?"

"I have to. No choice in the matter."

"All right. I kinda hate being alone in an unknown place, so do hurry."

"I will," he nodded. Getting in the car, he started it and drove off quickly. He had a sense of urgency now. The longer he was away from Agatha, the more he craved to be around her. If he was held up, he was going to be livid. Luckily, traffic was smooth around this time of day. He made it to the base, got into his office and managed to gather the few things he crucially needed. There were quite a few people there, but he wondered why he wasn't noticed. He would figure that out later. He pushed the curious question from his mind to remind himself of why he was there. He fired up his computer, sent various files out to his home computer and called Dana to have her copy the files to a USB drive.

Grabbing a box, a few of his wall hangings were taken down to keep from being confiscated, and several important files were added to the box. Something made him check for any form of bugs or tracking devices and he found none. Looking over the items he pulled to make sure he had everything he could possibly need, he started to make his way out. Just as he was about to make it to his car, he noticed a group of soldiers coming towards him.

Swearing softly, he moved against the wall. They passed right by him without noticing and he blinked. They didn't see him?! Then he looked down at himself and went speechless. He was camouflaged to look like his surroundings. Agatha's blood saved him from being spotted. That was why no one saw him in the office building, too! He was instinctively camouflaging himself! Even his clothes were affected, and that had him gaping with shock.

Pushing aside the sudden shock, he had to get back to his house. Placing his office supplies in the back of the car, he quickly jumped into the driver's seat and took off. On getting back to the house, he sensed that something felt off. He blinked at the sight of an odd-looking police car parked in front of the house. Solid black and sleek for a police car? Getting out, he found Dana being interrogated by a policeman at the front door.

"I don't know anything!" she said.

"Is there a problem? Did my niece burn something down already while I was out?" Robert asked casually as he walked over.

"Oh! She's your…niece?" the officer asked. Heavy sunglasses and a large police hat hid his features. Robert didn't like that at all.

"I swear, Uncle Rob! I was cleaning, and I heard a knock on the door, and this officer was there! He was going to arrest me, saying I was breaking in!" she said.

"I'm doing a bit of relocating for a while, and she was sent over to help. I already called everyone to inform them. Everything's fine," Robert said.

"Relocating?" the officer asked.

"Please, it's a long story and I don't have much time. It's to an undisclosed location. Completely classified and top secret military work. My niece is part of it. I'm wasting valuable time by talking to you. Please leave now," Robert said with a hint of an edge in his voice.

"All right," the officer nodded. Just as the cop car left, Robert looked at Dana.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"Just like I said! He just…showed up!" she frowned. He paused as he looked around his house with a narrowed gaze. It felt as though something pulsed in his head, and he blinked as he saw something shiny in his lamp. Now he swore violently. The odd pulsing he experienced came from the signals the little bug was sending out.

"They fucking rigged my house! We have to leave! Now!" he snapped.

"Who did?!" Dana freaked.

"Probably someone I called. They likely came in while we were out shopping. Fuck! Do you remember what his car looked like?!"

"Um…it was sleek, black and I didn't really see any lights on it, to tell the truth."

"That wasn't a real cop out there! He was trying to get more information on us. Good thing my talk about enemies was true. I bet the maid is one of them now, but her life could also be in danger. Fuck it," he growled. "You're going to be cramped in the car."

"It's fine, I'll deal with it! What about the phones?"

"Fuck them. I'll contact John at the base. Let's go!" he said. As he was walking out, a package arrived for him. John had found a way to send the phones as quickly as possible. He opened the box and found a note that simply said that he owed him.

"The phones!" Dana grinned.

"Yes. And I think I already paid John back by saving his life!" Robert smirked, as he knew what Alex wanted to do. "Let's get moving."

"Do you think your car is bugged, too?" she asked.

"It's possible. No talking," he said and she nodded. He did a quick check on the outside of the car, and he didn't sense any bombs attached to it. As to how he knew, he judged it was from Agatha's blood. Her blood was saving his life on so many levels now! He had Dana get on the floor of the car, and he was forced to pile boxes over her. It was the only way to get everything to fit. Once he got to the harbor, he nodded to the waiting Captain and was surprised to see Alex there in the guise of Sergeant Thomas.

"We have to hurry. She's due for labor soon," Alex hissed in the Sergeant's voice. "You have everything here?"

"That and then some," Robert nodded. He told him how Agatha's blood helped him and what happened at the house. Alex was shocked. Then he showed him the phones and Alex nodded. Alex had to admit that the man was starting to prove himself, but it was only because he promised not to betray Agatha. When Dana was uncovered, she stretched and helped move everything into the submarine. When the livestock and food were present, the submarine crew paused, but they didn't ask any questions. They had delivered livestock before. The parcels of clothing, sewing supplies and bolts of cloth were delivered next and moved into the submarine. Robert checked for any tracking devices and found none. Once they were submerged, Alex and Robert moved to a secured room to talk.

"You should destroy the car," Alex muttered. "Especially if it might be bugged."

"Nah. I'll leave it here. If they want it, they can have it. Same with the house," Robert said. "If the house is still here, Dana had a good idea on letting me 'rent' the house out to my kids and the drones as tenants. What do you think?"

"It would become a breeding ground," Alex grinned.

"I know, but what the fuck would I care if people are trying to spy on me? At least this way, the place would be monitored by us, and I'm sure the bugs would be found and destroyed as well as any idiot that got too close."

"Most likely," Alex agreed. "Oh, good. We're docking now."

"Good," Robert nodded. Dana was starting to haul everything out of the submarine, and the other crew members helped. Once all of Robert's belongings, the cloth, livestock and food stuffs were off the submarine, it submerged and was gone.

"We found a good office and bedroom for you. But, we'll worry about that later. Agatha is about to go into labor and I have to help her," Alex said, as he returned to his normal form and sped off to where his mate was.

"Right," Robert sighed and moved after him. Dana was about to follow, but Ragland was there to help her move the livestock and belongings to where they had to go. The doctor was told not to let her near Agatha during her labors. Alex didn't know how she would react to another female in the room and didn't want to chance it.

"I'm here…" Alex soothed, as Agatha gasped with pain. Robert paused to stare at the size of her belly. It was easily three times the size of a normal pregnant woman's!

"Good! They're…coming…" she whispered. He moved between her legs to show he was ready, and he quickly started to move eggs from her to the waiting nursery tentacles. Robert didn't know what he could do, so he moved back out to where his belongings were to start moving them around and to help with the animals. Thirty minutes later, Alex approached him.

"Go to her. She's weak, so be careful," Alex cautioned him.  
"So soon? After her labors?" Robert frowned.

"I know. But, that's how her body works. Now go, before I take your place!"

"Fine," Robert said. He moved to her bedroom now. He paused as he watched her body regenerate and heal back to the flawless form she was when he first saw her. Then he glanced at one of the new eggs locked in a tentacle. He stared with curious fascination as the embryo within it moved. Looking back at her, he noticed that she was watching him now, and he made his way to her side.

"How did everything go?" she asked.

"Very well, actually," he said as he took off his coat to set aside. As he undressed, he told her what happened. She was pleasantly surprised that her blood helped him so much. She was a touch shocked that he was being watched in his own home.

"They spied on you?! Why?" she asked as she sat up.

"I don't know," he said as he sat on the bed. He paused as her hand moved to rub his back gently, and he turned now to gaze at her.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Do you have any idea how bad I want you right now?"

"I do have an idea. Now get over here and show me!" she growled.

"You just…you just birthed eggs! And now you want me to…"

"I'm waiting…"

"What am I doing?" he shivered.

"You are fulfilling what you've been dying to do for several long days now. Why are you fighting it? Is it because I'm not pretty enough? I'm not attractive to you?"

"That's not it!" he growled. "You're gorgeous! Beautiful! I shouldn't even think about fucking you, but I am!"

"Then don't think about it. Just do it," she whispered to him. With a cry catching in his throat, he lost all of his resolve. He moved over her now and thrust hard into her. She cried out as he did, and he came in her almost instantly. He found himself releasing over and over inside her. He simply couldn't stop if he tried. She was clinging to him now and he was clinging back.

"Why…can't I stop…?" he gasped, as he found himself moving again in her to release.

"Alex…does this all the time…you know…" she gasped out as she arched herself. "He just goes…constantly like this…"  
"I'm only human!" he said, and he cried out sharply at another release.

"Not…with my blood in you…" she managed to pant out and that made him gape. Her blood was doing this to him? First the camouflage and now the constant sex? He didn't know whether to be happy or pissed off. He couldn't think about it as another orgasm hit him. He always knew he wanted to be with her, but this was at another level completely.

"How long…does it last?" he gasped out between orgasms.

"With…Alex…about an…hour…or so…" she whispered.

"Fuck me…" he groaned.

"I'm doing that now!" she grinned. He found himself smiling before another wave of pleasure hit him. Finally, he just let go of his will and let his body take over to do what it wanted. He would regret it later. He felt so worn out and exhausted by the time he was finally able to roll off her to rest at her side, that all he could do was lay there to catch his breath. Normally, once or twice was all he could do. He lost count after ten.

He couldn't think of anything right now. He just needed to regain himself. His body was aching all over as though he just got through one of the roughest terrain body tests of his life. She was laying back in the bed and running her hand over his short hair. For some reason, he felt oddly content now. He ran a hand over her belly and paused. He felt movement.

"Are you shitting me?!" he gaped.

"Nope," she sighed. "This is what always happens. I just don't know how many I have now. We'll have to see."

"I guess we will, eh?" he frowned. "Are you hungry?"

"Not really, but it could change. With Alex, I'm normally famished. But…hmm. Okay, I'm hungry now," she blinked. Robert managed to get up to dress, and he found Alex placing severed cow parts in the meat locker.

"She's hungry. Should we try to feed her both infected and beef meat?" Robert asked.

"Why not?" Alex mused. He grabbed a haunch of Hunter flesh and took it to her.

"Ew!" she hissed and was repulsed by it. "That smells…nasty!"

"Looks like you were right, Commander," Alex grinned and moved to swap out the meat with a large hunk of cow leg. Bringing it to her, she snatched it and tore into it. She wanted more and another chunk of cow meat was given. After four large chunks, she fell back on the bed to slip into a deep sleep.

"Wow," Robert said.

"I'll monitor her. You should get the phones working, as well as your office. Maybe find out who tried to spy on you," Alex said.

"Right," he nodded. "I still don't like you."

"Ditto," Alex smirked. When Robert left, Alex moved to her side to sit on the bed.

"Zeus?" she whispered as she blinked awake.

"Hera. I thought you were sleeping."

"I was, but I suddenly woke up."

"Why?"

"I feel…" she blinked, rolled over the side of the bed and vomited.

"Shit!" he hissed. When she held up her hand to show she was fine, he settled back down and looked at what she threw up.

"Most…human pregnancies…tend to have sickness at first," she frowned. "Right?"

"But, you're supposed to be forming eggs. Aren't you?" he thought and called for Ragland. When the doctor approached, Alex told him what happened.

"Let's take a look at the bile," Ragland said first. He collected a sample of it before getting some cleaning supplies to scrub it up to keep her room clean. Then he analyzed the sample in his laboratory.

"Anything?" Alex asked as he appeared next to him.

"It's just bile. No beef flesh or anything else. She didn't even throw up what she just ate, did she? I could do an ultrasound on her to find out more, if you like."

"If we can, then let's do it," Alex nodded. He moved into the bedroom to let her know what was going to happen, and he picked her up carefully. Placing a sheet around her in such a way to wrap around her chest and hips to leave her belly revealed, he carried her out of the room. Moving her into the doctor's new work station, he set her on a table. Ragland smeared the clear jelly over her womb and pressed the scanner to it. What they saw on the screen surprised them.

"Interesting! Let's see," Ragland said, as he counted the egg-like embryos. "Ten of them. None of them appear to be connected to the womb. She may have gotten sick to stimulate the pregnancy growth."

"Only ten?" Alex frowned.

"Think about it," Ragland said. "Drones are sexless and can be produced in mass numbers. Breeding pairs would need to be harder to find. Rarer in numbers. I have a feeling that these ten are exactly five sets of breeding pairs."

"Brother and sister can reproduce. Hmm," Alex mused.

"I think…they have already bonded with which one belongs to which," Agatha said. "Look at how the sets are so close together!"

"You're right!" Ragland said. Calling Robert over to see what he created with her, the Commander stared at the screen in shock.

"I can't believe it…" Robert blinked.

"Believe it!" Alex grinned. "And they're still growing. I have this odd feeling that they can make the drones, too, but only Agatha and you can make the breeding pairs. You'll be fucking her a lot. Just so you know."

"I should feel…happy?" Robert asked with a frown.

"We'll have to see how much they grow in her," Ragland said. "If they are to be rarer, it could take a bit longer for them to form in her."

"Possibly," Alex nodded. "All right, I'm going to take her back to bed. We need to secure a very special area for the breeders. Harder to find and the like."

"My section of the base. Put them in there," Robert said. "I won't let anything get past me to get to them. There's a room much like her freezer room and bedroom area that I've been taking over for myself. We can put those eggs in the room behind my bedroom office. That room is empty and only accessible through my room."

"Sounds good," Alex nodded. "I will be setting up my own defenses, as well. Let's go look at it after I set her back in bed."

"I'll wait there," Robert said. He was now fiercely protective of his future line, viruses or not. They were his and hers. He shouldn't be thinking of things like that, but he was all the same. They were his children. His. And that was his only main thought now. When he reached his bedroom, he went into the back door of the room to find the other room hidden there. It was much smaller, but would suit his needs perfectly. He was going to store paperwork there, but he had a much more important reason for it now.

"It's perfect," Alex mused, as he silently walked in. "We could hide the door under a layer of my tissues as a defensive measure. Only two incubator tentacles would be needed for now. If we need more, I'll make more. Let me get the room prepared."

"Fine," Robert said as he moved into his bedroom to start emptying out boxes. He was halfway finished when Alex walked out of the back of the bedroom. Now he moved and let his viral flesh cover over the door to obscure it. The door would instinctively open and close for only them. No one else would be able to gain access to the room. As much as Robert would have felt creeped out by it, he felt an odd sense of acceptance at the same time.

When he got the phones working, he checked on the video satellite uplink to his room. When that was working, he contacted John. Alex assumed the form of Sergeant Thomas in case he was seen in the background.

"John," Robert said lightly.

"Robert! You got the phones working?" John asked.

"I did. My house was bugged, John."  
"What?! You're fucking with me!"

"Nope. My niece was helping me move stuff out, and a fake cop even showed up on my doorstep ready to take her away from me."

"Aw, shit…"

"Tell me about it."

"I'll see what I can find out. I'll contact you the moment I can."

"Careful, John. I only know that it was someone I contacted recently. I went shopping with my niece and came home to that crap. I had to take a quick trip to my office, too."

"I wish I knew where you were so I could send you reinforcements."

"It's safer that even you don't know. Trust me on this at least," Robert said bluntly.

"All right. If you need cash, call me. I'll do what I can."

"Thanks, John. I'll email you a list of the people I contacted within the next ten minutes," he said and disconnected the call. The email was prepared and sent out swiftly.

"I see why you didn't want me to kill him," Alex said, as he assumed his normal form. "He could be useful later. Oh, I found out something about this Sergeant Thomas."

"What did you find out?"

"He was kicked out of the military for a form of fraud," Alex grinned.

"What?"

"Apparently, he made false reports to cover someone's ass. Your ass, actually. You recall an issue about a lawsuit that several recruits said that you 'manhandled them' by slapping them around a little too much?"

"I did no such thing!" Robert growled.

"I figured you didn't. Sergeant Thomas knew you didn't, either. So, he made a false report to take the sting off you. He let himself get the brunt of the punishment. They simply moved him to help a group of scientists. The group I killed here. That…was four years ago before this base was built in secret."

"That's why he came to me directly," Robert blinked with understanding. "He felt I owed him. Didn't he?"

"Well, 'owed' is a loosely connected term when it comes to him. He was 'demanding' a form of repayment. You gave him that plus some. You should be happy," Alex grinned.

"Fuck you," Robert said before he cracked a grin. Alex smirked and went to check on Agatha. When he left the room, the Commander continued to work on organizing his new home.


	9. Chapter 9

Alex found her resting in a rather disturbing position. She was curled up into a small ball as though she was in pain. He didn't like that one bit.

"Hera," he whispered, and he moved a lock of hair away from her face.

"Huh?" she blinked and yawned as she looked up at him. She reached up for him and pulled him down to kiss deeply. He moved a hand over her belly and frowned.

"They grow slowly," he said.

"I know. Likely twice as long as drones do."

"Why were you curled up like that?"

"Oh? It felt comfortable."

"You never did that before," he frowned. "Are you hungry?"

"Hmm? Sort of," she shrugged. He got up, brought her a small bit of meat and sat on the bed by her to watch her eat.

"Feel better?"

"It could use a bit of cooking," she sighed. "Surely you can think of something?"

"Well, I have consumed a number of chefs. I'm sure I could cook up something. But, I have only one thing to ask you."  
"What?"

"How do you want it cooked?"

"Surprise me," she giggled. He looked at her oddly. "What?"

"You being pregnant with human seed makes you…different. I don't like it."

"Ah. Well, how's this," she said with a smile. "Shut the fuck up and make me something before I get pissed off."

"Now you sound better!" he grinned, and she kissed him. She watched him leave, and she felt oddly alone for some reason. She winced a bit as her belly started to stretch, but it was a slow stretch. It wasn't fast like it was with the drones. Glancing up, she saw Robert walk in and he sat by her to run a hand over her belly.

"Feeling all right?" Robert asked.

"So far so good," she shrugged. "How about you?"

"The same. More or less, anyways. I'm still in shock at the sudden outbreak of fatherhood, though. A room is secured for them right behind my room. Just as your room is hidden by the meat locker, my bedroom will hide the children."

"That makes me feel relieved," she smiled. "I'm getting bored, though."

"Are you? Hmm. I'll have to think of something you can do to pass the time. I don't think we have any books here. We do have a lot of cloth, thanks to my shopping adventures with Dana. Think you're up to making yourself a couple outfits?"

"I have enough downloaded training for emergency cloth repair. We can see what we can make," she nodded. He rubbed her belly again before getting up and fetching the bolts of various fabrics. Bringing them back to her, she managed to sit up and they started sorting through them. Dana found them and offered to help out.

"So, what exactly do you need?" Dana asked.

"Something to cover my chest and hips, really. Maybe a criss-cross toga type thing, I think," she mused, as she mulled the thought over. It would be suitable considering her secret name. "I just need something to cover me enough to keep me from exposing myself."

"Skirt and top?" Dana suggested.

"That could work, too," she smiled.

"We'll just make you a set of matching bra and panties. Done!" Robert chuckled.

"I think not," Agatha smirked. She looked up as Alex walked in with a plate of something that resembled an exquisitely cooked steak. She set the cloth down and took the plate eagerly. He didn't bring her any form of flatware which was fine by her.

"That looks awesome!" Dana gaped.

"I will only cook for her," Alex grinned. "You'll have to make do with burned oatmeal."

"Oh, come on, Alex!" Dana pouted. "If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be having kids with her! Please? You owe me!"

"Fine. Just once," he muttered. "To even the odds with you."

"Yes!" she grinned. Agatha chuckled as she tore the steak to pieces. It completely satisfied her hunger for now and she told him so.

"Good. When you're getting hungry again, tell me. We could save on meat this way," Alex said as he sat by her. A small glare at Robert was given, but the Commander ignored him. Robert was still sorting bolts of cloth. He didn't realize how many of them he purchased.

"What's that?!" Agatha said, as she saw something tiny and metallic fall out of an unrolled bolt of red velvet. Robert blinked and picked it up. It was a signal transmitter made for tracking, but it was fried. Likely by the static build up from the cloth.

"Fuck me!" Robert hissed as he studied it. "Someone _did_ try to track me down! I didn't detect it because it killed itself!"

"What?!" Alex hissed.

"You can detect them?" Agatha asked.

"Your blood allows me to sense them. It's almost as though I was able to pinpoint the one in my home with every signal sent out. I just knew where to find it. Dana, do you have any weird powers now because of her blood?" Robert asked.

"Nope. I feel the same. Did something happen to you while you were here?" Dana asked. "You were here before to meet Agatha first. Right?"

"Yeah, I was here. I remember they had to take a blood sample from me to ensure it was me, but that was it. That happened after Agatha was deployed to the island. Wait…I remember now," Robert frowned. "Right before I left, I was given a shot of something. They said it was a vaccine of some kind. For the flu going around. I didn't feel anything or think anything of it."

"Go to Ragland. Give Dana the bug to play with, and you get checked out!" Alex hissed. "I really hope that Agatha's prized stud male isn't tainted…"

"My blood cured him. If anything, it made him…better!" Agatha grinned. "And I'm still giving birth to breeders. I'm sure of it. Maybe they'll be just as enhanced as he is!"

"I'm just worried about the safety of my health at the moment," Robert grimaced. "I'll be back in a bit."

"Dana, go find out what you can about the bug," Alex said.

"I'm on it!" she said, as she jumped up and ran out. The moment they were alone, Alex kissed Agatha fiercely and pressed a hand to her belly.

"They grew," he said.

"Yes," she whispered, and her mouth moved close to his. He kissed her again and hugged her tightly to him now. The last time he remembered feeling this way was with a woman from his past, and she had betrayed him. Not his Agatha. She would never betray him.  
"You'll always be at my side," he said.

"Always," she murmured, as his mouth claimed hers. After the kiss, she whispered, "I would never want to leave your side."

"To think that just earlier this week, we were ready to kill each other," he grinned.

"They always say that opposites attract," she chuckled. He looked down at her belly as it swelled more and he smiled. Then he thought.

"I wonder," he mused. "If Ragland can take human sperm and merge my DNA into it. Knock out the need for a stud male completely."

"It's possible. But, I am fond of Robert. He is a very protective one. And he has connections that we need."

"I know. I just don't like him getting the feelings he has for you now. It's only obvious. But, they do say that human emotions can always be the true weakness to any man or woman. It's proven true, so far. As long as he knows that you're truly mine and he does as he's told, then I have no qualms with him. For now."

"Yes. For now," she agreed, and he kissed her with a longing that she responded to instantly. When he looked at her, it was with a look that showed only one thing. He loved her. He didn't have to say it. There was no need to. She gave him the same look back, and he shifted his body over hers. Looking at the door, he formed his whip arm to reach over and slam it shut.

"I know you're pregnant already," he growled. "I don't think I can do anything right now, anyways. Still…"

"Don't make me wait," she whispered, and he helped her shrug off the blanket that covered her. She moved it over them both as his form molded to hers. She gave a soft whimper as he filled her. His body partially formed so he could kiss her now. The next ten minutes were spent this way. It would have been longer, but a knock was heard and Alex hissed.

"It's just me!" Ragland said loudly. "Your drone is moving and appears to be ready to hatch! If you want to see it, now is the time!"

"Fuck!" Alex hissed. "What perfect timing!"

"We'll be…right out!" she said, as she gasped against Alex's form. He found a stopping point, somehow, and managed to help cover her with the bed sheet again. Helping her stand, she walked with him to Ragland's office to look at the giant egg. The child within was clearly the resemblance of a young man now. She judged it was like that, since the hammer arm attack it had was so devastating. She looked at the other egg and noticed that it was now evolving swiftly. Since it would hold Alex's power of the whip, it was developing to be almost feminine in form and very slender. Looking back to the egg as it rocked in the tentacle, the shell of the egg seemed to mold to the skin to form a bit of protective armor for additional defense.

Within seconds, it jumped out of the mucus-like encasing and stood up tall. Its body grew even further to resemble a tall, powerful man with short, black hair, but lacked all the male features it would need to be classified as a true male. The hammers it bore reverted to hands, and it looked at Agatha and Alex with a form of knowing with solid black eyes. It recognized them as its creators. Then Alex blinked with surprise.

"I can hear its thoughts. As though…it's a hive collective. Mainly instinctive as Ragland suggested. Now…oh…" he grinned. "I can sense the others on the island now! They…want to meet me. Some are stronger than others and are rather demanding to be here. Interesting…"

"Use the cryo tube?" Ragland asked.

"Going to have to. A shame there isn't another. Wait! There is! But, it can be tracked. It's not safe to use," Alex frowned. "I could possibly fix it so that it can be used later."

"Why can't I hear our children?" she frowned.

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "It could be that you may be able to hear the breeders to where I can hear the drones. It's possible at this point. But, I need to go to the ones on the island and bring our strongest fighters here to protect you. Oh…something interesting!"

"What?" Agatha asked as he squeezed her close.

"Apparently," he grinned wickedly. "They have my ability to consume and clone themselves as others. But, it's a one-time use. And, I can gain the memories of those they consume. Now this is useful…"

"I think I have an idea," Agatha grinned.

"What?" he grinned back.

"We can have some of our drones take over the submarine crew and the Captain of it. They can do what they need to in the submarine and drive it around as we need it. You gain the memories of the Captain to know how to use the submarine if needed," she smiled wickedly. "We can transport our drones easily that way and won't have to worry about betrayal."

"I love how you think!" he laughed and kissed her soundly. Looking at the new drone in front of them, he thought. "How strong are you compared to the others?"

"You found me. You know," the drone replied hoarsely. Alex thought about that and grinned. He would be able to detect the strongest of the drones and bring them back.

"I may have to leave some strong ones there to create small teams to help attack. Like generals or officers. Not only are they the strongest, but the smartest. And…able to control small groups of lesser drones. Interesting…" Alex smirked. "Apparently, you are the strongest of your type right now, from what I can sense. You will be the Captain of the submarine."

"Yes. I will do that," the drone nodded.

"I'm going to go to the island, and various drones will come here. Stay here and stay safe," Alex said, and kissed Agatha passionately. The drone moved now to stand in front of its mother protectively. It saw her as its Queen now.

"May I take some skin samples from you? To see if I can make you stronger?" Ragland asked the drone. At Agatha's nod, the drone nodded. Small skin samples and blood samples were taken quickly. When Dana came into the lab ten minutes later, she dropped her jaw at the drone that was there. Robert was no better. The drone looked like a beefed up man now that its skin fully adhered with the shell it came out of, but lacked all the male parts. The drone moved, lifted up Agatha easily and carried her back to her bed chambers.

Once she was in the bed, it moved to block the door with its muscular frame. The frigid air of the meat locker didn't even bother it at all. The drones were virtually weather resistant to anything they may have to travel in.

"Can I see her?" Robert asked. "She's bearing my children. Eh…young."

"You made the breeders? Go in," the drone nodded and let him squeeze by. It also scented Agatha's scent on him and made Robert's scent a permanent part of the hive's collective database. When Dana appeared, it smelled Agatha's scent on her, as well as Alex's. Recognizing her permanently as another form of ally, it let her squeeze by. The doctor was also added, since Agatha's blood was injected in him, too.

"We should make clothes for him. Ah, it," Robert said as he glanced at the drone.

"True. Shall we do that?" Agatha smiled.

"We'll need to make a whole range of clothing!" Dana sighed. Agatha only smiled again, and they all got to work on making new outfits. An hour had passed and a few outfits were made for her. The drone stated that Alex reached the island safely and was now looking for the other drones to bring back. Agatha thought and called the drone over to get its measurements so it could get some clothing on it. They agreed that all of the drones would likely be the same in build and height. The breeders may be different, though.

"I should give you a name. If you are going to be my personal guard, it would be needed," she thought. The drone simply shrugged. It would agree with whatever she wanted.

"Probably a name that could go for a girl or a boy, right?" Dana asked. "Like Robin?"

"I think Robin can work," Agatha smiled. "It is a name not normally used."

"As long as no one is named Batman, we should be fine," Robert grinned.

"Ugh!" Agatha frowned and shook her head. He laughed a bit at her and brought more rolls of cloth over to her.

"Oh, Dana, did you find out anything about that bug?" Robert asked.

"I didn't, really. Most of the serial numbers were burned off when it fried. I can only make out that it was Japanese made from the last two characters that were still left," Dana frowned. That made Robert uncomfortable. If Foreign affairs was involved, they could be in trouble if they weren't careful, and he voiced it.

"My Liege says that we can avoid them. We just take them out. Before they take us out," Robin said. Agatha blinked and then realized something. They didn't have to use the phones and seemed to giggle.

"Robin, tell Alex that I got your information and the phones will be used as emergency back up only," Agatha grinned. This made Robert gape at the realization and it would be safer this way. Who would be able to hack into a virus to listen in? Then he frowned as he thought of something crucial that needed to be addressed.

"Robin, ask Alex if it's possible to cut you off from the hive as an emergency measure in case one of you got caught. Temporarily right now for about five seconds. I want to see if it can be done," Robert suddenly asked. Robin nodded and thought. Then he seemed to hiss with pain and he fell to his knees. After the hive link was reestablished, he stood up and shivered.

"Robin!" Agatha frowned.

"It hurts…to be cut off…from My Liege…and the others…" Robin grimaced.

"But, it is possible. It could result in your death if cut off for too long. At least, if Alex cuts you off. He was frozen, but you were still in contact with the hive mind and you were fine," Robert said. "Makes sense now. But, I worry for our children. The breeders."

"Well…" Agatha thought, as she ran a hand over her belly as it stretched. "I think they would be okay. As breeders, you would think they would also have a way to 'control' their own broods, right? Still be able to relay information to us, but be their own form of Commanders in our army? Higher than Generals? Maybe Captains or Admirals?"

"Now that you put it that way, it's a possibility," Robert thought aloud. "We won't know for sure until they grow and hatch."

"But you agree, that it may be possible?" Agatha smiled. Robin was silently relaying everything to Alex, and he was in complete agreement. Then the announcement was given that the first of five drones was sent in the cryo tube. She smiled and eagerly awaited the arrival of her latest child. Time was spent by making new outfits, and she looked up to find a slender drone with feminine features walk in. This one was the same in the egg at bearing the whip-like hand. It was fast, sleek and extremely accurate. For its features, it had a set of rather pretty, solid black eyes, long, black hair and lacked all the usual parts that a female would have. It almost looked Oriental, but that was just the facial features and body structure.

"My Queen," the drone whispered and bowed to Agatha. Even the voice it held appeared to be feminine. Agatha found the perfect name for this drone.

"Your name will be Kim," Agatha said. Kim bowed and moved to stand along a wall of the room. Both siblings looked at each other with a knowing glance. They were the strongest of their distinguished classes so far. Robert started to feel oddly protected now. About an hour later, another drone came in, and Agatha looked up with a smile.

This one appeared to be a slender male, but well built in the arms for the blade it held. It had spiked, black hair and black eyes. It was quick, accurate and exceptionally deadly at the jump attacks it could do. As it moved forward to bow in front of her, she gave a pleasing smile.

"My Queen," it bowed deeply to her in a noble way.

"Your name is Aden," she smiled. At a soft nod, it looked at the other two drones with the same knowing glance they gave each other before. Then it moved to settle along another wall. Dana now held up several full outfits and had them dress in them. Looking a bit more human now, it made her feel less restless.

"Glad I found a bolt of denim," Robert chuckled.

"You're telling me!" Dana sighed. They were each given outfits that wouldn't hinder their attacks. They all had sleeveless shirts for their arms, since it was their arms that had the main attacks. Jeans completed the outfits, and they didn't seem to need shoes, since their feet had more natural padding. They could walk over nails and sharp glass without getting cut.

Another hour of clothing making went by, and a fourth drone walked into the room. This one looked like a somewhat buffed up version of the slender male-like drone with the blade arm, but this one had Alex's claws. Shoulder-length black hair seemed to stick out at various angles like the spikes that adorned the claws, and it glared around savagely with narrowed black eyes. It could jump as fast as the whip drone and hit practically as fast as the blade drone. It was clearly the most lethal of them all.

"My Queen!" it hissed out and bowed to her. Then it moved to stand right at the back of the room where her bed was. A sleeveless shirt and pants set was given to it, and it wore them quickly, its claws morphing to arms to don the shirt before letting the claws come back out.

"Who will protect the breeders when it is their time?" Agatha frowned.

"Stronger ones of us from other clutches. They will escort. When new batches hatch from the breeders, they will replace the escorts. The escorts will come back here to you," the new drone said. "My Liege will be here after the fifth one is sent."

"Very good," Agatha said. "Your name shall be Nick."

It gave a nod and closed its eyes to listen to the hive mind. Another set of outfits were made, and they stopped to take a break. Robert got up to get Agatha some meat and she ate hungrily. She missed Alex's cooking skills. He truly did know how to sate her hunger with them. Looking up at the fifth drone that entered, it appeared to be a slender male, but rock solid with muscle. It had large, black eyes for locating things at a distance, and exceptionally short, black hair. It didn't appear to have any other features, but it showed what it could do by making a coat of armor over itself and forming a shield.

"My Queen," it nodded to her with full recognition.

"Two skills?" she mused.

"Scouting and defense. For the hive," it said. "I am fast. Hard to catch. Infiltration. I am the eyes of the hive behind enemy lines. Because of this, I can consume up to two humans to get my goal done. One for a grunt. Then I lose it for the main prize."

"I see. Impressive," she purred. "Your name shall be Eddie."

"Very well," Eddie said and moved to stand on the other side of the bed that Nick was guarding. Her belly stretched again, and she sighed as she laid back in the bed now.

"Do you need anything?" Robert asked.

"More food," she frowned. He nodded and got her another chunk of meat. "I could really use this cooked! Ah, well. Better than not eating."

"I'm not one for cooking," Robert shrugged. "I always ate pre-made meals."

"It's fine. I'll make do," she said, as she started to eat again.

"I haven't picked out a room for myself yet," Dana thought and got up to skip out. She smiled as the girl left, and Robert ran a hand over her belly as it grew again.

"I thought they were to grow slowly?" Robert frowned.

"I wouldn't know. This is a first time for me," Agatha frowned.

"My Liege is returning," Nick said.

"Good!" she said as she winced. Her belly stretched again and she gasped.

"Are you all right?" Robert asked.

"Just…fast growth," she sighed and panted a bit. "It hurts when I stretch, but I'll be fine. I just need to rest a bit."

Eddie moved over now to judge her size, and the information was relayed to Alex. Then the drone placed its hands on her belly to evaluate the growth.

"My Liege says to try and hold back," Kim said. "He is coming as quickly as he can."

"Hard to do," Agatha gasped at another stretch to her belly.

"My Liege is frozen now. No more thoughts from him," Nick frowned.

"They really are growing faster!" Robert blinked. "Only ten of them in you, too!"

She cried out at another stretch, and she panted as the growing seemed to stop. When she said she was ravenous, more beef was brought to her and she tore into it. When Ragland appeared to talk to her, Robin blocked him momentarily.

"My Queen is in pain. What do you need?" Robin asked.

"Oh! Well, I just want to let her know that the second egg brought in is growing quite fast. The eggs do hatch in waves. Is there anything I can do to help her?" Ragland asked.

"No. She must endure the pain. My Liege is on his way here now. He will help her when he gets here," Robin said. Ragland nodded and went back to his lab. For the next hour, Robert kept feeding Agatha pieces of beef. She truly was ravenous now, and he was amazed at how much she was consuming.

"How is she?!" Alex hissed as he moved past Robin.

"Her belly stretched a lot while you were out within the past thirty minutes," Robert said. "She's incredibly hungry right now. I've been feeding her."

"Fine. Agatha?" Alex said. She leaned into him now, and he leaned back into her. Looking at Nick, a silent word was given and the drone left the room.

"What is it doing?" Robert asked.

"Going to slaughter another cow," Alex said.

"Shit! Tell it to wait so I can tell it which ones not to touch!" Robert growled and got up to move out quickly. That made Alex smirk and he got pulled into a kiss by his mate.

"Ragland said the first egg you brought in is growing. The second batch of ours," she said. "They will hatch in waves."

"I know. Then I'll have to go back and evaluate them to see which ones are stronger. Or maybe I don't have to. I seem to know that the ones I brought here are the strongest ones. I will not have our first drone be the Captain on the submarine. It is needed here. Others will do that for us," Alex said. "Maybe from the ones already here."

"I did give them names, you know," she chuckled.

"I don't care for names. You can use them. I don't need to," he grinned. She smiled and hissed at another long stretch of her belly. He watched her carefully with a touch of concern. "You are almost at birthing height. So…slow to start and extremely fast to finish. They develop quickly, but very few in number. Interesting to know. We will have to see how they grow when they leave your body. Are you hungry?"

"Famished!" she snarled out. Robin brought over a massive hunk of cow leg and she tore into it savagely. Alex thought and got up to do some cooking. He remembered how she said it fully sated her hunger. Then he paused and made another meal for his former sister. He did promise her, after all.

"Here, Dana," Alex said to set the plate with utensils down for her. She gave a jump of joy and tucked into the steak. He went to Agatha and gave her the cooked steak as he discarded the cleaned cow leg bone.

"Mmm…" Agatha sighed. "The way you cook this completely destroys my hunger!"

"I'll make more for you and have them ready. Maybe I can try it out on some of the Hunter meat. Possibly do the same thing," he thought. "I could tell the drones how to cook, too. It would save a lot of time this way. You think?"

"Possibly," she nodded. He took the empty plate from her, and Kim took it from him to take to the kitchen to wash. He actually liked the extra help. When the other eggs hatched, they'll have even more help. Then he blinked and remembered the bodies in the tubs that he left in the storage room. Some of the bodies held high-ranking scientists. A mental nod given to Aden, the drone left and confirmed that it could consume dead human flesh to take on the form. But, it was temporary. A living human would be permanent. Yet, it could help get them where they needed to go before the form wore off. They also couldn't glean any memories from a corpse. The host needed to be alive for that to happen.

"Hera," he whispered and told her what he found out. She blinked with surprise at this and chuckled. Leaning into him now, he felt her give all her weight to him. He ran a hand through her hair as she slept. He found himself hating to leave her side. He wanted to get rid of the stud male completely, but if this was the only way breeders could be made, he had no choice. He did want to try having sperm created with his DNA. It could be tricky, but if it worked, then he was all for it.

The drones watched their King and Queen with a form of pride. The island was being cleansed of Hunters and infected humans, but the meat was being stored carefully. They kept two hive buildings intact for the Hunter meat. Much like how one would raise cattle, they were now treated as such. The infected human flesh was not tried yet, and they knew that once the humans were gone, that food source would be completely removed. The cryo tube was sent back and forth for the meat to be sent over. The drones worked carefully to make sure their Queen had all she would need.


	10. Chapter 10

An hour passed by and Agatha was awoken with sharp pains. Alex moved to help her, and he noticed she was ready to give birth when she gasped out, "Zeus!"

"Get the Commander!" Alex hissed out. Kim moved swiftly to get the man and brought him back. "She's in labor! Make sure your room is open to place the eggs in!"

"All right," Robert nodded and made sure a path was clear. Alex moved a hand over her leg to show he was there, and she panted and clung to the sheets from the pain. She cried out when the first egg came out, and Alex hissed at the size of it. There was no time to study it right now. That could come later. Robin moved close to take the precious egg to the breeder room. Each drone helped move the eggs carefully. When the last two eggs were birthed, he had the drones stay in the room so they could study the eggs in full when Agatha recovered.

"Look!" Alex said to her when she could focus again. Kim brought over the egg holding the male breeder, and Nick brought over the egg bearing the female breeder. Robert walked into the room now to study the eggs with them.

The male breeder looked like a young teenage boy with short, blond hair. He was curled up in the egg as though asleep. The female breeder looked like a young teenage girl with extremely long, blond hair in the same position as the boy. Both looked exceptionally beautiful and slightly otherworldly from Agatha's beauty. They each had distinctive facial features, and the same would be noted for the others. They all looked different from each other to keep their real identities hidden.

The eggs were taken to the breeder chamber, and Ragland was there to study them. Robin was keeping a close eye on the doctor, since none of the breeders were to be handled too much. Dana was floored at the eggs and was a touch impressed.

"Alex, a set of them should be in my lab for study!" Ragland said.

"Maybe the next batch. Not these. I will not have these tampered with," Alex said.

"Okay. As long as I get to study the next set of eggs," the doctor said. "Robert, I found out what was done with your blood. There was an extensive file over it."

"Tell me," the Commander said.

"The shot you were given was actually supposed to sterilize you. Agatha's blood reversed it. She was right. It made you more potent," Ragland said.

"What did those fuckers try to do?!" Robert hissed out.

"Oh, geez…" Agatha sighed.

"Well, too bad we can't thank them!" Alex grinned. Robert sighed and shook his head. "Anyways, we need more drones. When she births them, we'll get another batch of breeders done. We'll take turns this way."

"Fine. I'm going to check on my kids," Robert said and left the room feeling irritated at what he just learned. Alex watched him leave, and the doctor left to see what else he could learn from the eggs. Then he turned to look at Agatha and kissed her hard.

"They are beautiful. Aren't they?" she said with a smile.

"Very. Much like their queen," he smiled. "I want to see if I can get viable sperm made for me. I really want to try making breeders with you."

"And who are you going to get to donate the sperm?" she chuckled.

"The doctor always liked a challenge. I would just have him remove his DNA to replace with mine. It's something to try."

"That would be a lot of work, though."

"True. But, it would be worth it if it does work. Right?" he asked. Nick seemed to nod and moved from the room to ask the doctor about it. As Alex thought, the doctor was intrigued by the idea and would see what he could do.

"Zeus," she whispered and ran a hand over his chest. He grinned and covered over her now to seed her. Right now, their little army was off to a wonderful start. In the breeder room, Robert was staring at his children with silent disbelief.

"Ten of them. Mine and hers. Incredible," he whispered to himself. They were all beautiful children. All of them were sleeping in their states of growth, and they were still growing. There was no way that he knew of that would convince him to kill them. These were his kids. A parental instinct that he never knew he had was now quite clearly apparent. He didn't know what they would know or how they would learn, but he knew he would teach them everything he could to help them survive.

He knew that Alex was with Agatha right now. He didn't mind for once. He felt a form of relief that he wouldn't have to watch over kids for eighteen years. She truly did give him something that no other woman could. A family that could sustain itself. He also knew that he would protect his kids while they were with him. When they left his side, they would be on their own until they came back to him. He couldn't be there for them all the time. This confirmed it. In a way, it worried him a little, but he would teach them whatever he could to protect them.

Moving from the special chamber, he went to his desk to start setting up a training regime for them. He needed to make sure he had everything ready when they hatched. He wasn't sure if they would have his skills or not. He needed to be prepared. He didn't know if they would be hungry, either. He saw Ragland walk in with a needle, and he got up to stop him.

"I'm not going to hurt them!" Ragland said, as the Commander stood in front of his path.

"Alex said not to touch them!" Robert hissed. "You aren't going to touch these! The next batch will be fine! Not these!"

"I know. I just want to know as much as I can about them to see if there is anything we need to know of off-hand. I was hoping to scan them and get any form of vital readings. If I could collect a blood sample, I could learn a lot more," he said.

"No. Not these kids," Robert said protectively.

"Get away from the breeders if you value your life!" Nick hissed from the doorway with his claws ready to tear into him. Ally or not, his King said they were not to be touched. He had come to check on the eggs and was now adamant on protecting them personally after this. Alex was a bit surprised at the request, but he granted it.

"All right. I'll wait until they hatch," Ragland said as he gave up. Nick glared at the doctor as he left and nodded to Robert. Then Nick moved to stand in front of the door to the breeder nursery. Robert felt a lot of relief at this. He clearly didn't want the good doctor to tamper with his kids right now. At least not while they were developing.

"Thanks," Robert said and sighed.

"No problem," Nick nodded. Robert noticed that all of the drones tended to have the same, flat, monotone voice, but it was the ones based on being males that had this trait. Kim sounded more female, but its tone was also flat. It could give them away if they weren't careful.

"What's the plan when they hatch?" Robert asked.

"We will see how much they know. Then we will see what they can do. After that, they will stay here until the next batch of drones hatch. Drones will be picked to take place of the submarine crew. Escorts will be made when the breeders are ready to leave. My Liege can make special passports here. The computers have direct lines to various databanks in military computers. He knows all of the codes to get them."

"So do I, if I have to," Robert nodded. "We should have some cooked steaks and meats ready for Agatha. Think that can be done?"

"Kim and Aden are working on that now. My Queen and My Liege have worked hard to bring us here. We will do all the work for them now. My Liege wants to know what you are planning on doing now."

"Me? I'm preparing a list of military tests to see how intelligent my kids are going to be. If they know everything I know and everything that Agatha knows, then these tests will prove it. There are exercise simulations here that we can use, too. I'm getting everything prepared. I won't know if they'll be hungry, either. We'll need meals prepped for them just in case."

"My Liege understands and will have Eddie assist with the tests. I will remain here to guard the breeders, and Robin is guarding our Queen. She is pregnant again."

"Very well," Robert nodded and went back to his charts. A couple hours went by unhindered, and he finally got up to check on Agatha. Nodding to Robin as he made his way in, he saw her growing belly and found her asleep.

"Cooked meat really does wonders to her hunger," Alex mused as he walked in behind him to sit by the bed. "I'm having Ragland try to make sperm with my DNA. If it works, then you won't have to be used all the time. It will give us a variety of breeders, too."

"You won't…get rid of me. Will you?" Robert asked.

"Now…that's an interesting question," Alex grinned. "But, no. I won't. Agatha clearly likes you and feels you are important. So far, you are doing a wonderful job. Just stick to your oath, and you'll be fine. No need to break off a good worker."

"Right," Robert grimaced. "I'm not sure what else I can do around here."

"Keep an eye on the breeders?"

"Isn't Nick doing that?"

"He's protecting them. Actually…what's Dana up to?"

"Not sure. I'll find out," Robert nodded. Alex watched him leave and started to understand why Agatha liked him. He was exceptionally loyal and kept to his word.

"Zeus?" Agatha whispered as she blinked awake.

"Hera," he smiled and kissed her deeply. She wrapped her arms around him, and he lifted her up carefully to pull her into his lap.

"Hard to believe that I'm less than a week old and a mother to over two hundred kids!" she mused, and Alex laughed a bit. "What happens now?"

"We wait for the breeders to wake up. Then we see what we can do for them. After that, we'll have the other drones hatch and escort them to the surface. We'll have them take over the Commander's house first to secure it. It would be the best place to start," he said. "Then we can see what is around them to slowly spread them out. Maybe have them get houses in each city across the United States. Possibly the world. We'll need to amass a lot of money."

"True," she sighed. "Speaking of money, how much funding does this place get? And do we know who is funding the bills? It would be nice to know."

"Hmm. Good question," he thought and felt her belly swell under his hand. He smiled and leaned down to press a kiss to her mouth. Then he muttered, "I'll think about it while I'm fucking you again. I'm sure I can do it."

"Really?" she smiled and kissed him back. Then she saw him pull away, and she looked at him questionably.

"There was one other in my life. A bit long ago," he sighed. "I thought…I could trust her. Instead, she betrayed me."

"Hopefully, you found her and slaughtered her!" she growled.

"Oh, I did. After consuming a number of scientists to get her location. Needless to say…I was incredibly…hurt? By it all. I guess."

"I would never betray you," she said.

"I know you won't," he said and kissed her hard. She responded to him just as much, and he gasped as he hugged her close. Swallowing, he whispered, "Is it possible…for a virus…to love? At first I thought it was impossible. Improbable, too. But…"

"I don't think it's impossible," she whispered back. "I think…we proved it could happen. Don't you?"

"If that Commander tries to pull you away from me…" he snarled out.

"I won't let him. Or give him the chance," she frowned. "I only like him. I love you."

"You do. Don't you?" he said, as he moved over her, despite her growing belly and he started to take her. She arched back as he seeded her now. She belonged to him. Everything else didn't matter right now. This was his Queen. His mate. He'll kill anyone and anything to protect her if he had to.

Robin was standing outside the door with an adamant look of protection. No one was going to get past this drone now. Nick took on an even more protective stance in front of the breeder door. Drones don't need sleep. They were on twenty-four hour alert at all times. Knowing this, they stood vigil and let time slip by unnoticed for the next three hours.


	11. Chapter 11

Alex stayed with Agatha the whole time. He watched her sleep and fed her when she woke up. He mated her when they both needed it. For the first time since he woke up as a viral mutation, he finally felt whole and complete.

"Zeus?" she smiled and ran a hand over his back.

"Hmm?" he gestured.

"How are the breeders?" she asked.

"Hmm…" he thought. "They are ready to hatch. We'll bring them in here quickly."

"Oh!" she blinked. "So soon?!"

"Apparently so," he mused. Robert was following Nick into the room as the other eggs were brought in and set in the hanging tentacles. The other drones were in the room now and Ragland walked in.

"They should be in my lab!" he said.

"Not these!" Alex hissed. "They will hatch first, and then we will see what needs to be done! That is the way it works with breeders! As for the drones, fine. They can be in your lab. But breeders are too few and far between to risk."

Ragland was about to argue his case further, but the first set of breeders rocked in the tentacle and jumped out of the mucus casing. The clear eggshell merged into their skin to give it a glossy look before disappearing. Eyes opened to reveal steel grey and pale blue sets. The boy grew quickly into that of a young man, and the girl grew to that of a young woman. They were already set to breed right away. The young man looked over at his father with Robert's steel greys and bowed.

"Hello, Father. I am ready to go forth and do what I can," he said.

"Oh, my," Agatha smiled. The young woman looked over and smiled softly, as she nodded to her mother. Then Agatha paused with surprise. She heard their thoughts. "I can hear you both! Oh, this is wonderful!"

"So, you can hear them, but I can't. Makes sense like I thought," Alex nodded.

"I can't hear you," Robert frowned.

"You can't hear us, but we can hear you, Father," his son said. "You can teach us this way, and we will learn everything you know."

"Really? Then there is no need for training expertise!" Robert blinked.

"That's right, Father," his daughter said. "Our brothers and sisters will be waking soon. We understand the plan, Mother. My King, is there something you wish of us?"

"Yes," Alex nodded. "The other drones should be hatching soon. Come to think of it, I find it rather intriguing that it took about four days for the first wave of drones to hatch. Now, it's less than a day. Either way, I'm not going to complain. The tentacles holding them are near the swelling stage. Gather the strongest ones you can together and fashion clothing for yourselves. If you notice stronger versions of what drones are here, you will change them out. The names your mother gave them will be transferred to the new drones when they stay here."

"We will. Also, we cannot consume others to take their shapes right now. It may happen when we reach land. Right now, we feel safe. Like you, My King, we have the ability to consume whoever we wish to take on their forms, and we can have one main style of attack. But, they need to develop in time, and we can choose which attack style we want," the young man said. "We will need to choose attacks that will complement each other."

"Would you like names?" Agatha asked. "You can choose your own, if you like."

"I wish to be called Apollo," he said. That had Alex laughing with the irony.

"I shall be called Aphrodite. I am sure the others will pick their own names," the young woman said. "We shall start making clothes now and test our knowledge."

"I'll go with you to make sure of what you know," Robert said. They both nodded and watched their other brothers and sisters hatch and grow. They all chose various names of the gods, but they also chose more common names to throw off people if they had to. When they had designed and fashioned their clothes, they moved to Ragland's lab to be evaluated and have health checks. Once Ragland had all the information he could possibly need about them, the five breeding pairs settled in various rooms to wait for the drones to hatch and to be mentally taught by Robert. Plans were running smoothly so far.

"Anything you need, Hera?" Alex whispered.

"I could use something to eat," she nodded. Kim brought over a cooked slab of Hunter meat, and she ate it quickly. It sated her hunger as quickly as the cow steaks did, and this relieved him. It would cut down the meat consumption drastically. They could save more this way, and the cryo tube could be conserved.

"The next thing you eat will be from an infected human," he said.

"Really? Well…hmm. I should try it," she said.

"Aren't you full?"

"In a way, but I can still eat."

"All right. Let's see what happens," Alex nodded. A slab of infected human flesh was brought over and she sniffed it. Then she pushed it away.

"It doesn't smell right," she frowned.

"We'll save it for later. Something tells me that…if Ragland successfully makes sperm for me, you could manage to eat it. Such as the cow meat with the breeders. Certain meats you just don't want or can't tolerate. It's worth a shot," Alex said.

"Okay," she nodded. The meat was taken away to be frozen and stored for later use. Another slab of Hunter meat was brought over and she ate it hungrily. After that, she sighed and ran her hands over her growing womb. He moved to lay next to her, and she rested her head against his chest. It didn't take long for her to fall into a deep sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

The rest of the week was busy with her breeding and birthing. The submarine crew was taken over by various drones, and one of the first set of breeders was sent to Robert's home. It was swiftly reclaimed and cleansed out from bugs, spies and anything else that could interfere with their plans. Spies were consumed and now used against the ones that sent them. It was decided for Alex to ensure that various drones from his clutches with Agatha were there, too, since he couldn't gain any memories from the drones produced by the breeders. It gave him a weak spot and he didn't like it.

With the submarine constantly going back and forth, they also had to be careful about fuel. It was soon planned to have a set of drones start to slowly take over the fuel station the submarine went to in order to avoid suspicion. Much to their surprise, the original strong drones that Alex brought back were far stronger than the others. They instinctively evolved with each new birth of drones. Alex decided to make them their personal guard, and Agatha was in complete agreement.

As she lay in bed with him, she felt that something was off with her most current breeder pregnancy. It was as though she knew that there was something different that happened. At her mate's look of intense curiosity, she frowned and said, "I feel odd with this set of breeders in me. Something doesn't feel normal. I know what my pregnancies are like with breeders, too."

"Oh?" Alex asked and rested his hand on her belly. "We'll need to do an ultrasound."

"Okay," she nodded. He pressed a kiss to her mouth and kept her hips and chest covered. Taking her to Ragland, he explained what she was feeling.

"Let's find out," Ragland nodded. Various drone eggs were being genetically infused with other forms of DNA and were developing at odd paces. Any that hatched and deemed unfit were killed off swiftly and disposed of. He wanted to experiment on a set of breeders, but Robert was quick to refuse him. They were his kids and it didn't feel right to him. He didn't want that to happen. He cared for all of his children, despite their fast growth and intelligence.

Only four breeders stayed with them. They wanted only two to stay, but the other two stated it would be best to keep them safe with the others until a suitable place was found. The ones that stayed were, Apollo, Aphrodite, Dionysus and Athena. The others had left the moment they were ready, and were provided with identification and papers to prove they were American citizens. Ragland was still working on genetic sperm for Alex. It was tested once with Agatha, but there were no results. It was as though the batch was sterilized and Ragland had to try again.

"It looks like...hmm. There's a single egg here," Ragland said, as he saw the lone egg missing a partner. "That's very odd."

"Only nine eggs?" Agatha asked.

"Yes. That is very odd," Alex admitted.

"What's going on?" Robert asked.

"One of the eggs is missing a partner," Ragland said. "We'll need to find out why when it's birthed out. That's why you felt odd."

"I see," Agatha frowned. "It worries me."

"Hmm…" Alex thought and now wiped the clear gel off of her belly to carry her back to their bedroom. Setting her in the bed, he reclined next to her and held her as he whispered, "Hera. Tell me what's wrong."

"If a breeder is missing, how will it be of use? I mean…if it's a female, would it bond to the doctor? If it's male, would it bond to Dana? And, if you think about it, I had this clutch right after you tested that sperm set. Maybe something did happen?" she asked.

"You are bringing up some valid points. And some scary ones. If what you say is true…" Alex frowned and muttered. "Fuck. Well, we'll have to see what happens."

"I know we will," she nodded. He kissed her gently and rested a hand over her belly as it grew. It was getting to the point that they were ready to grow faster now. Kim and Aden had steaks ready for her the moment her hunger pains hit. Nick was guarding the breeder chamber, and Robin was still guarding Agatha's door. Eddie was monitoring the system scans. He sounded the first mental alarm to show that something unknown came up on the radar.

"Shit!" Alex hissed, kissed her hard and told her that something was spotted as possibly hostile. There were a lot more drones now, and small teams were set up quickly to guard the hatched breeders. Robert was notified, and he made himself present with Alex.

"When were they spotted? What direction?" Robert asked.

"Just five minutes ago from the direction of New York. Appears to be another submarine," Eddie said as he showed the scans. Alex assumed the guise of Sergeant Thomas and nodded to Robert. It was time to see who was showing up at their door. The drones were ready to dive out into the ocean. They didn't need air to breathe and had started to show their efficiency through fishing. It made another food source available to give some of the beef meat and Hunter meat a form of balance. The best swimmers were picked and in the water shortly after. Alex listened to their thoughts, and they confirmed it was a submarine.

"Hide the doctor and Dana," Alex said. Eddie nodded and moved to do just that. The moment the intruding submarine docked, Robert was there with Alex in disguise.

"I'm here to speak with Leopold!" a man in a suit said, as he walked out of the submarine. He was wearing a soldier's uniform, but appeared to be there for maintenance.

"He's very busy at the moment. Who are you? I am Commander Robert Harrison."

"Oh! You're the Commander he told me about! He didn't give me a name, but it's all good. Glad to meet you! I'm David Bertowski. The main technical repairman for the station. The phones were out, so I couldn't call ahead," he said. "I normally don't just drop in like this."

"Oh. Yes. Sorry about that. Our satellite had malfunctioned and blew up in space. A replacement was given to us," Alex said easily. "So, you're the repairman?"

"Yes. I am," David said. He suddenly felt nervous. Like he walked into a trap. The second strongest hammer drone walked over to shake his hand as though to show him an area that needed to be fixed. He was in the temporary guise of a dead scientist to avoid suspicion. Then he consumed the man.

"Do the same to the crew!" Alex snapped. Various strong drones moved in swiftly, and a new submarine was claimed for their little army.

"Do you think that was wise?" Robert winced.

"Very. Considering that…our technician was also a hired spy," Alex mused at the memories given to him. "This base is known of by one other man."

"Who?" Robert now asked with a form of worry.

"Who is the man you trust the most? The one who helped us get the new satellite?" Alex grinned. "The same one…who was also funding these scientists. Be very glad that he has no idea that you are being stored here."

"You're shitting me! John is the spy?!" Robert hissed.

"Yes. Looks like John's luck just wore out," Alex snarled. "Good thing we don't use that satellite, either, except for your random military calls. I should send in one of our infiltration drones to take him over."

"Do we really need to take that drastic of a measure?" Robert asked.

"Hmm. Agatha always tends to come up with some very interesting plans. Let's ask her for her expertise on this delicate matter," Alex said. Robert nodded and they walked over to where she lay. She sat up a bit to study her mate's face as he told her what he found out.

"A spy?! He needs to be removed! Quickly!" she hissed.

"This is the same spy that I came to trust over the years, though," Robert said.

"Hmm," Agatha thought and smiled. "Does he have an assistant?"

"Why…yes. He does," Robert said.

"Take over the assistant first. Learn what that one knows. If the assistant knows the true nature of the plans, take over John," Agatha said. "Our drones do know how to eat. They don't process the food, but they vomit it back up in a toilet. It will be easy for them to mimic a normal human in public if they need to."

"I really love how you think!" Alex grinned and kissed her deeply. "What do you think, Robert? See what the assistant knows first?"

"If that's what needs to be done, then fine. I say," Robert said slowly. "When the drone takes over the assistant, have the assistant in the room with the video call I make to John. I'll mention a few things. If John shows hesitation about everything, I'll let the drone take out John. It's the only way I can make sure that everything goes smoothly. But, the drone will need to live where John lives and do as John did to avoid suspicion."

"If that's the case, send two drones. A drone like Nick to be the assistant, and a drone like Eddie to be the defense and infiltration. All of our drones look alike, and if John always has his assistant, it will be less of an awkward situation if our John is walking alone," Agatha said.

"I really like how you think!" Alex grinned. "Hell, we may just as well send a bunch of drones over to make it seem like he's under threat and needs the extra protection. Then his house can be used as a breeding ground!"

"I have a feeling that we'll be taking over half of the government without realizing it," Robert frowned. "It feels like a waste of talent."

"Or we just have a breeder set take on John and the assistant. Is the assistant male? Or female?" she asked.

"Female, actually," Robert mused. "It's been rumored that John was sleeping around with her, come to think of it. The man isn't married, so it would be an adequate situation."

"And my sons and daughters are able to camouflage. This can only be done before they consume anyone. Remember? Once they start consuming, they lose the camouflage ability for good. It lets them get close to their targets safely," Agatha chuckled.

"Where do you get your ideas?" Alex laughed.

"From you," she smiled. "Robert, see if Dionysus and Athena are up to the challenge of infiltration with their own escort groups. We have plenty of drones to help them."

"I'll ask them. The kids are looking bored, anyways," Robert grinned. As he walked away, the more logical and stricter side of him was screaming that it was wrong with what he was doing. But, ever since his own government and best friend thought it was necessary to spy on him, he stopped listening to that side of his mind. He was listening to the side that was the father, the nurturer and the teacher. He needed his kids to go out into the world and survive without him in any way they could. The kids he had living in his home had sent a few of their own drones to the base to communicate for them and they were remarkably happy.

They were using his banking information to get anything they needed for the house, and they were very frugal with their spending habits. He taught them everything just by thinking about it. He was amazed at how intelligent all of his kids were. The odd thing was that the drones they made were near exact replicas of the original drones made by Alex and Agatha. There was only one major difference and that was their appearance. The eyes were still black, but the hair was blond, and the skin was a dark tan. If Agatha was able to be with other humans, the drones wouldn't have to be recognized. The breeders could try to swap with other breeders, but they were bound to each other from birth. They simply wouldn't breed with the ones they weren't bonded to. They claimed that it didn't feel right.

He was curious about the lone egg in Agatha. What did it mean? Like Agatha's thoughts, he was starting to think that the lone egg could bond with any human to make a new breeder. But how would it work? They could only find out in time.

In Agatha's bedroom, Alex was listening to the thoughts of the other drones as Agatha ate the cooked steaks given to her. Right after she ate them, he pulled her tight to his chest and closed his eyes. He knew he was a virus. He knew she was supposed to be his antivirus. He didn't care. He heard her soft sigh, and that usually meant she was thinking about something.

"Hmm?" he asked.

"It would be nice," she thought. "To send a breeder set to the island. Since your tentacle nursery is likely still there and they could continue to keep up with the drones to provide distractions. What do you think?"

"You're right!" Alex blinked and nodded to Kim to send word to Robert. With that done, he grinned and hugged her tightly to him. "Any other ideas you have for me?"

"Well…I'm not sure…" she said, as she lightly traced up his blue, button up shirt. "It's not possible for you to fully undress. Is it?"

"I don't think so," he smirked. "I didn't think that it was much of a problem."

"I'm just curious if you can," she chuckled. He thought and focused a bit. His form wavered, but nothing happened. The virus he was kept everything the way it was meant to be down to the very fibers of his clothing. He tried to remove the leather jacket, but it just vanished and reappeared on him. She gave a bit of a pout and he shrugged.

"Apparently not. It could change, if I practice, though. I'm sure it's possible," he said. Then he hissed as her hand moved to carefully move under the clothes. When she started to feel skin under the clothing, he gasped.

"So…you can't take it off right now, but I can feel underneath. Very interesting. So…it may be possible," she grinned. He couldn't say anything right now. The sensation of her very touch on his viral skin was overwhelming. Then she leaned in close to whisper, "Should I see if I can touch below the belt?"

He gave out a heavy snarl of want, but he made no move to stop her. The moment her hand moved to slip under the jeans, a knock was on the door and he shouted with disbelief. She blinked and wondered why Robin didn't stop the knock. Alex gave a murderous glare at the door before relaxing. He looked at her and said, "Continue where you left off."

"Oh?" she chuckled and decided to work him back up again. Touching his chest again made him shiver with impatience. Her hand moved slowly to slip into his jeans, and she was surprised to find a rather manly part of him there. He groaned softly as she explored this part of him, and he finally couldn't take it anymore. He rolled on top of her and shoved himself hard into her. He had mastered the ability to not have to coat himself over her as a second skin. For a good twenty minutes, they tormented each other before they were able to relax.

"Not what I expected," he admitted and kissed her lovingly. "I am going to want it again. Believe me, you know I will!"

"Oh, I'm sure of it!" she giggled and then thought. "So, who knocked on the door?"

"It was our guard. It was making sure we knew someone wanted to see us," Alex muttered. "I couldn't hear its thoughts since…eh…"

"I see," she said with a wicked grin. Then she winced at a long stretch of her belly, and he moved to place his hands on her to monitor the growth. He placed a sheet over her, and Kim came in with a steak for her. After she ate, Robin let Dana in to see them.

"Hey, guys!" Dana said as she sat in a chair.

"What's going on?" Alex asked.

"Not much. Just wanted to see what was going on with you guys and what the plans were now. Any ideas?" she asked. As Alex talked to his former sister, Agatha felt something odd shifting within her. It was a hard pressure that was being done, and it was in the same direction that Dana was sitting. She knew that breeder sets always pressed close to each other. Was this something like that? She thought a bit more and looked at Dana.

"Dana," Agatha said softly. "Can you do something for me?"

"Sure! What is it?" Dana asked.

"Can you, well, put your hands right here?" she said, and she pointed to the side of her belly. Alex blinked, as it was the exact spot the single egg was. Dana paused in thought and did as she was asked. Agatha gave a soft gasp as the egg within her felt drawn to Dana's pressure. The egg within her was pressing back rather painfully, but the bond was made. Only after it knew that Dana was to be the one it was destined for did the pain ease up completely.

"Dana," Alex said with a soft grin. "You are hereby betrothed to a breeder. Most likely a single male that's developing in her."

"What?!" Dana blinked.

"Oh, dear," Agatha sighed. Nick had told Robert of what happened, and the Commander was now in the room to confirm what happened. At Dana's worried look, he had the answer.

"One of my kids is gonna be with you, eh?" Robert smirked.

"I don't want a relationship! On top of that, it's like I'd be with myself! Agatha's whole reason to have kids is because of me, and she could be my sister, too! Why do I feel like I'm in some red-neck sci-fi flick from hell?!" Dana groaned. That had Alex laughing, and Agatha was giggling like crazy.

"Not exactly with just her. I'm not related to you," Robert said.

"Actually, you are. My blood is in you. Remember?" Agatha grinned. That made Robert sigh and shake his head. Alex found himself grinning, too.

"Okay, okay," Robert sighed. "We are one giant red-neck, viral family. I get it now."

"Do you?" Alex snickered.

"And I still don't like you," Robert said with a bit of a smirk.

"Same to you, asshole!" Alex smirked back.

"Children. Both of you," Agatha rolled her eyes. "Dana, we'll just have to see what happens. Okay? Don't despair. Sometimes…things work out."

"I know. It's just shocking. I mean, if this is the case, I don't know if I even want kids right now or how they would even grow! I'm still pretty human."

"Maybe not. Agatha's blood does various things," Robert thought.

"Don't scare me!" Dana said with a touch of dismay.

"I wonder if that's how single breeders can work with humans. If Agatha's blood is injected in them. It's a thought. Rather scary to think about that, too," Alex mused.

"No. What's scary is if a single female is born and goes after Ragland," Agatha frowned.

"Okay. That thought wins," Dana agreed. "He'd probably run tests on all of his kids."

"Ugh! Change the topic! Now!" Alex grimaced. Agatha started laughing and paused to cough as her belly stretched again. The eggs were in their fast growing phase now, and it was going to be another couple hours before she gave birth to them.

"I'm hungry," she gasped out as she stretched again. That made Alex narrow his eyes, and he fully focused on her well-being. A cooked steak was brought to her with a side of elegantly steamed fish. She ate it ravenously and sighed as the hunger pains subsided.

"Better?" Alex asked. She leaned into him. Another meal was prepared for her in case she needed it and brought in. Dana and Robert left to talk further on what was going to happen.

"Zeus," Agatha sighed, and he ran a hand over her arm.

"Hmm?" he asked.

"I'm not going to stop breeding. Am I?" she frowned.

"Why do you ask this?"

"Well…I could use a break."

"A break?"

"I'd just…like some time without my body being pregnant."

"I see."

"The only time I had a break was before I came back from the island."

"I know. Yet, you know how hard it is for me to keep from touching you! And you know that you are the same way with me," he muttered, as her hand found his way to his chest. "And this only proves my point."

"That may be so," she smiled with a light blush as he pulled her close.

"And you know that I will _never_ get tired of you," he murmured and claimed her mouth in a deep kiss of want. After he kissed her, he growled out, "If that Commander ever loses interest in you, I'll gladly take over all of his places to be with you!"

"Zeus!" she gasped. He had to have her right then and there. He had no control over it. A good hour passed before he was able to pull away, and they both blinked at each other. They both received a mental prod, and it was in the form of an emergency.

"The breeders at the Commander's house," Alex grimaced, as he got the message from his drones that were there.

"They are in danger of being discovered!" Agatha gasped, as her children reported to her.

"Tell them to have their drones scout over the house!" Alex growled. Robert had stormed into the room when Nick told him what was going on.

"What's going on with my kids?!" Robert snarled out protectively.

"I have some of my strongest drones there, since it's your house. They just stopped and consumed a squad of military officials to take their place. Go to one of the drones they sent here from their brood and think of what they need to do next. You know your property, and they know your property. Show them the defenses they need to set up or activate!" Alex hissed. Robert nodded and Agatha thought to her children. The pale haired drone they sent to them walked up to Robert to start discussing tactical information and defenses. Everything was over after ten minutes. There were so many drones there, that the enemy was over-whelmed.

"They did win for now," Agatha said. "They need better defenses. Either that, or our drones need to go out to the source of the attack and neutralize it."

"If we can reach John and take him out…" Alex thought. "I strongly think that it's him behind the sudden attacks. I wouldn't doubt it."

"Well…what are we to do about it?" Agatha frowned. "Unless…"

"What?" Alex asked.

"We lure him here," Agatha mused. "We still have Leopold's DNA in the system, right? Is there enough for you to consume to become him? Enough to even make a clone to consume?"

"I…" he thought. Then he started to grin. Then he laughed. Her plan was perfect. He still had the scientist's memories, so he knew how to act, too.

"As for luring him in, we can simulate a problem in the base that needs his explicit attention," she said with a dark look in her eyes. "With him here, where he thinks he's safe…"

"He gets consumed," Alex grinned wickedly. "We have his technical spy in our ranks now. Use the spy to confirm the damages…"

"He comes here and finds Robert…"

"Our breeders consume him and liquefy all of his assets to a point that we can use it for anything we need."

"Or continue to do his work, since they'll have his memories."

"I would prefer to have his memories, though. It's easier for me to work with," he thought aloud. "We could make a clone of him and have a breeder take the clone to gain his face and form."

"But our breeder would need his memories in order to be him."

"True. I just feel that I should be the one to gain his memories. I can't hear what the breeders think. This is most annoying."

"Maybe…" she thought. "This is a long shot, but, could you consume some of the blood of a breeder to gain their memories? Maybe right after they consume someone?"

"That's an interesting thought," Alex said. "I might lose the form of the Sergeant, though. But, we do have his DNA. If I have to, I could clone him to reclaim the form. And yet, just to think if it might be possible with that small of a sample, we may not even have to clone."

"It's what you did with me when you first found the cryo tube."

"You're right!" he nodded. "Let me get Apollo."

Kim went to fetch the breeder male at Alex's mental command as Agatha thought to Apollo as well. The young, blond haired man approached his king with respect. He was actually quite a beautiful and handsome creature.

"What do you need, my King?" Apollo asked elegantly.

"A sample of your blood. I want to see if I can gain your memories with it. It's what I did with your mother when we first met," Alex said. Apollo nodded and offered his wrist without hesitation. Alex grew out his claws and lightly sliced open his skin. Placing his fingers on the wound to gain a few droplets of blood, he tasted it silently. Then his sky blue eyes opened wide and he grinned.

"I'm guessing it worked?" Agatha mused.

"To perfection," Alex nodded and watched Apollo's skin heal back up. "Thank you. Now I know how to get the memories from the others if needed. You have been most helpful."

"Of course, my King. Mother? Is there anything else needed of me?" he asked.

"No, my dear. You may retire," Agatha nodded. Apollo bowed to them both and went to join Aphrodite to assist her birthing. Like Alex, he was able to make his own form of a tentacle nursery to hold their eggs. With that underway, Robert was still talking to the drone from his children and keeping himself occupied with that. Dana was feeling bummed out and reclining in the mess hall. She was picking at her fish, and found one of the breeder males sitting with her.

"What's on your mind?" he asked. He was one of the few breeders that was far more relaxed and easier to get along with. Out of all of them, he was able to get more information from Dana than anyone else since he was so likeable. He was almost like a full brother to her.

"Which one are you, again?" Dana asked. He chuckled and shook his shoulder-length blonde hair. He inherited Agatha's pale blue eyes and looked quite dashing. He almost resembled the classic fairy-tale prince.

"Dionysus. Seriously, though. What's wrong?" he asked.

"Well…" Dana sighed. "Apparently, the single egg in Agatha is destined to be with me. From what she can tell. I just don't know what to think of it."

"Really?" he blinked. "That's a bit surprising! I should be paying more attention to Mother's thoughts. But, what are your thoughts about it?"

"I mean, course, all of you guys are incredibly hot to begin with, but you're also kinda like my relatives. And even then, I don't know what would happen. I really don't want to be in a relationship. Much less with someone that isn't old enough to drink. And he's gonna be far younger than me. He'll be a newborn! It's like robbing the cradle!"

"Hah! So true!" Dionysus laughed. "But, let me give you some good pointers about all of this, okay? Trust me."

"All right," she said. "I'm listening."

"He won't be a kid when he comes to you, so you can toss that out right now. He'll never cheat on you. He'll love you with everything he has. He'll worship the ground you walk on. He'll learn any skill you want him to learn. He will always protect you. And he'll do everything in his power to make sure you're always happy."

"Sounds…boring," she frowned.

"Boring?"

"Well, I like a guy who's wild. Likes to have fun. Not afraid to take risks. I like the guys that scream out that they're dangerous just by looking at them."

"He can gain the claw attacks and kill anyone that tries to touch you. Then he can glean their memories to learn how to suit your needs. If you want a guy that can sing, he'll consume the best singer out there and sing for you. You want someone to play music? He'll do the same thing. You want a wild guy? He'll make a quick stop into a bar and take out the roughest guy there to learn how to be the 'wild guy' that you want."

"Okay, okay! I get the point!" Dana sighed and he grinned. "I mean…you guys, breeders, that is, are just…so hot! And I honestly don't think I'd even have a chance with any of you. I'm kinda plain. On top of that, how do I know the single egg in Agatha is a guy? For all I know, it could be a woman mistaking me for a guy."

"Get over yourself," Dionysus smirked. "That egg is male. And that breeder will find you to be the most beautiful woman on this planet."

"He's gonna want kids," she frowned. "I don't want kids."

"Our kids grow up and don't need to be taken care of."

"But, will I have drones? Breeders? I don't know!"

"Well, how can you complain if you don't know?"

"I just…damn it…" she sighed and buried her face in her hands. She paused as she felt his hand move to rest on her shoulder in a brotherly way.

"The only way to find out is to plunge into things headfirst. You have to take a gamble to find true happiness. No pain, no gain as they say. Right?" he asked. "You want him to take risks. You need to take risks, too."

"True," she muttered with defeat. "He better be hot!"

"Do you find me hot?"

"I find you completely gorgeous!"

"Then, yes, he'll definitely be up to par with me," he grinned. "Possibly even more if he's made for you. Mother gives birth to beautiful children all the time. After he's birthed, you'll just have a five hour wait until he's able to move about. Then you can really judge him."

"I hope so," she said.

"Take a nap. By the time you wake up, you can see him yourself. Or…hmm. He could just come to you. Maybe that's what you need to do."

"What do I need to do?"

"Go to sleep. Let him wake you up."

"Ah…oh. I am kinda tired."

"There ya go! Okay, I gotta check on Athena. She's giving birth soon. I know that one of the next breeder sets is gonna go to the island to keep the drones coming. Mother wanted us to do it, but I think we are needed here more. It's just safer to have two sets of us here as a precaution. There's a lot that's going to be happening soon, as it is. Just keep your chin up. Trust me. It will all be worth it in the end. I can tell. It's a gut feeling."

"We'll see," she nodded. He patted her on the back lightly before leaving, and she managed to finish eating. Now she could only wonder what this guy was going to look like, and she started to feel a touch excited. There was only one thing that she was truly worried about now. Slipping into bed, she could only hope that she didn't turn into a breeder female. She heard what Agatha's blood did to Robert. She didn't want to end up like Agatha and constantly give birth to eggs. That would simply piss her off.


	13. Chapter 13

The eggs were birthed and set into the breeder egg chamber. For the next five hours, Robert watched over his children with Nick guarding them. The single male egg had a rather distinctive look to him. He was far more muscled than the other children. His hair was much longer than the other males and had whiter sheen to it. Almost like Agatha's hair. His skin was the same color of hers, too. He was easily the most beautiful out of them all right now. The moment he jumped out of the mucus coating and the outer shell hardened into his skin, he stood tall, and his form grew and lengthened to finish developing.

He was taller than Robert at six and a half feet in height. His long, straight hair came down to the middle of his back, and his extraordinary, handsome face was heightened with steel grey eyes. His chest was wide and lean. His belly was toned and muscled with plenty of definition. It was the same for the rest of him. Agatha was very impressed with her son, and even Alex was amused at this breeder male. He knew his former sister secretly loved men like this and was grinning to himself. Robert was very pleased at how his son turned out.

"Mother. Father. My King," he said, as he nodded to them. His voice was much deeper than the others. He was a very different breeder male. He was made for Dana and was special. The moment she had placed her hands on Agatha's womb and the connection was made, it altered how his form was going to turn out. He matched what her subconscious desired.

"Treat my former sister with respect at all times," Alex said. "Pick out an outfit. If there isn't one that can suit your needs, one will be made for you. Or you can make one for yourself."

"Yes, my King," he nodded.

"Will you choose a name?" Agatha asked.

"I choose Hermes as my name," he nodded to her. "It has not been chosen yet."

"Dana's room is at the far end of the left part of the base," Robert said.

"I see. Thank you, Father. I'll get dressed now and see her," Hermes said as he moved quickly to make an outfit to his standards. A loose, long-sleeved shirt that opened in the middle was made with a set of loose fitting jeans to go with it. He let Ragland take a blood sample to study before heading to Dana's room. He walked in, pulled a chair over and sat with his arms over the back of the chair. He let a few minutes go by, and he studied her features. He was completely enamored by her. No other female would suit him. This was how it was for all of the other breeders. There was no need to be with any other.

He watched her sleep for another ten minutes before leaning over to move a strand of hair away from her face. The warm gesture was enough to make her blink awake, and her dark brown eyes met his steel greys with surprise.

"What the...!" she gasped and sat up before scooting to the end of her bed.

"Hi," he smiled, as he leaned away from her. "I'm Hermes."

"No…way…" she blinked. He looked like he could have walked right out of a Japanese Manga comic. He was more than gorgeous. He was far more than just hot. He was downright sexy, desirable and incredibly attractive. Words couldn't possibly describe what else she could say about him, and she knew that he knew it. He was the type of guy that she would instantly believe would never want to be with her. He was a super model. She was just an ordinary girl. There was nothing special about her.

"Yes…way…" he grinned as he watched her. "What's wrong?"

"You aren't the one for me. There's just no way!"

"But…I am the one for you. And I find you to be the most beautiful girl in the world."

"That's impossible! I'm drab! I'm ugly!"

"Then you're my drab and ugly girl, and I'll kill anyone that tries to tear you away from me. Is that better? Or do you want to hear something else?"

"I want to hear that there is no way in hell that you belong with me!"

"Not gonna happen," he grinned and moved to stand up. She gaped at how tall he was. "C'mon. Let's go for a walk."

"I didn't even shower yet!"

"Oh? Need help?" he grinned again.

"No!"

"A shame," he sighed. She started to look flustered, and he moved to sit by her. He put his arms around her and hugged her to him. Looking at her from a corner of his eye, he said, "Look. I know I'm less than an hour old, but can you think of me as an adult?"

"What?! How do you know what I'm thinking?!" she gasped.

"Dionysus was just filling me in on what you talked about with him. It gives me an idea on what you're expecting of me. Do I look like I'm an hour old?"

"No…" she frowned. "You look like you could be in your mid-twenties."

"There you go," he chuckled. "Just think of me as someone who came in from out of town to meet you. Like a special blind date."

"But…look at me! I'm some plain, ordinary girl and you could be…damn!"

"What could I be?"

"A fucking movie star! A super model! Someone who shouldn't be with me!"

"I beg to differ."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I'm in love with you."

"Ah…" she blinked and blushed. "But…"

"The moment you put your hands on Mother's womb, I knew it was you. You are the only one my heart will long for. Do you want a romantic? Or a wild child? Tell me! I'll be whatever you want me to be! I only want you to be happy."

"I just…ugh…" she sighed and got up to move from him. He got up right after her, spun her around and hugged her to him. Why couldn't she fight him?!

"Do you not feel my bond with you?" he asked softly, as his arms encircle her tighter. "You have to feel it! You know it's there! Don't fight it! Don't…don't fight me. Please…"

"There's just so much happening. I mean…I know that I was given a pep talk about this and…I know Dionysus talked to me a lot about this…"

He sighed and released her. She could tell he was hurting now. A part of her wanted to go to him and another kept saying that she needed more time. Everything was going so fast now! He moved to sit in the chair with his arms over his chest, his back to her. She was having problems accepting him, and it was starting to affect him deeply.

She swallowed and remembered something that Dionysus said. No pain, no gain. She had to take a risk. Could she take a risk? Would everything turn out all right? There was only one real way to find out. She didn't want to fight him. Running a hand through her short, black hair, she sighed. Slowly, she moved to walk up behind him, and she placed her hands on his shoulders. He leaned into her touch as he said gently, "I'll give you all the time you need. All the time in the world, even, if I have to. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable around me."

"Just one thing is kinda bothering me right now."

"Tell me."

"Hermes? That name? Really?" she asked. That made him crack a grin, and he got up swiftly to face her. His movements were so graceful that it was frightening. His stance was filled with protection for her. He clearly did love her. Only her.

"Yes. Hermes is my name, and I chose it. Besides, Hermes was known to be a trickster and a smart ass. I figured it would fit me!"

"Well, so far, you look like you could be a smart ass if you tried."

"Heh! I know!" he grinned, as he put his hands on his hips.

"I just…find it so hard to believe that a guy like you would find me attractive. That's all. You look like one of those guys that would easily brush me off to go with someone else."

"Well…" he said, as he pulled her close. "That will never happen. I am a hundred percent all yours. You can believe that. Can't you?"

"It's going to take some time. I'm used to being asked out. Taken to places."

"Ah. Kinda hard to do here. We could go and check out the garden and a few other places in the base, but that's about it. I doubt we have any movies here."

"How do you know so much?!"

"Mother's thoughts, you see. I can read them. And Father's, too. You could say that I'm already at an age that I should know everything and then some."

"This also means that you know how to kill people, too, right?"

"Only if I have to in order to protect you," he said sternly. She closed her eyes and found that his scent was incredibly pleasing. Something finally started to reveal itself to her, and now she started to understand it. Acceptance. Trust. This wonderful man, virus or not, was made for her to protect her and love her. Her arms moved to hug him tight to her, and he gave out a gasping sigh of relief. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and breathed in her scent as he hugged her tighter to him to show he was bonded to her. This was the woman destined for him. He'll now kill anyone that tried to take her from him.

"I heard you can gain an attack from my brother," she said.

"I can," he nodded. "I can actually gain up to three skills to protect you. And I have Mother's camouflage effect. I don't lose it if I consume others."

"What?!" she looked at him with surprise now.

"I'm made differently from the others for a reason, you see," he chuckled. "I can consume whoever I want, but I don't have to. I was created for _you_. To protect _you_. To love only _you_. You are my world. Without you, I have no reason to exist."

"I'm just…scared…"

"Of what?" he asked.

"If we…do anything together. That's all. I really don't want to give constant birth to eggs like some mutant! I'm not ready for kids! Agatha gives birth all the time, and she never gets to rest! I feel bad for her. I don't want to turn out like that, you know?"

"I see what you're saying, but we don't know what will happen. Right?"

"I know."

"Have you…been with anyone else?"

"Yeah, I have. Just one guy, though."

"Is the guy someone you still know?" he asked, a touch of jealousy in his tone.

"Well, it was when I was younger. A lot younger. In my teens. You could say that it was an accident that it happened at all. I thought of it as an accident, at least."

"Did this guy rape you?!" he asked with shock.

"Huh?" she asked. She looked at him and paused. The look on his face was stern, as he now had various scenarios running through his mind. She licked her lips and said, "I don't know. I still don't know how to see the situation."

"Is this guy still alive?" he asked slowly.

"I would think so. I don't know where he is. I honestly don't care to find out. It was in the past and I just leave it at that."

"Okay. Do you remember his name?"

"Um…no. I don't. It was a one-night stand at a party. We just hooked up, got drunk and I found myself naked in bed with him the next morning. He had a condom. It was used."

"Been with anyone ever since?"

"No. I haven't. Didn't make much sense to after that."

"I have a feeling that there is something that you're not telling me."

"What is there not to tell?" she asked. He looked at her with a bit of hurt in his eyes.

"There had to have been someone else."

"There wasn't. I had boyfriends before, but never got anywhere even remotely close since that night with any of them. After that night happened, I kinda lost interest in guys and focused more on myself. You can even ask my brother."

"When you put it like that, then all right. I'll ask my King when I see him again."

"You call Alex your king?" she asked with amusement.

"Yes. We all do, as breeders. I know you won't."

"I'm sorry. This is all just so weird for me."

"I'm sure it is. I'm not going to rush you, Dana. If you want to wait twenty years, then I'll wait twenty years. If you want to jump in, I'll jump in with you."

"Why did you choose me of all people?"

"Because you need me," he said softly. She looked up at him with disbelief, and he stroked her cheek with his hand. He was a good foot and a half taller than her, and he gazed down at her in such a loving way. She swallowed and he bent down to press a kiss to her lips. He closed his eyes and whispered, "Don't fight me…please. Let me love you…"

"But…" she whimpered, and found out that she couldn't fight him now when he kissed her again. He was able to disarm all of her defenses. She had no idea how easily she let him undress her. Everything was a blur when he undressed himself and laid her back on the bed. She wanted to compare it to her one-night stand, but this was on a completely different level. She remembered everything he did to her. Everywhere he touched her. She let him explore her body as she explored his, and she was sleeping peacefully in his arms after they proved their love to each other. He had his chest pressed against her back, and her body was resting against his.

"I love you, Dana. Nothing will ever come between us. I promise," he whispered to her sleeping form in his arms. He pressed a kiss to her neck, and rested his head against her shoulder to sleep lightly alongside her.


	14. Chapter 14

Agatha was chuckling to herself, and Alex looked at her curiously.

"Dana finally accepted Hermes," she smiled.

"Did she really?" Alex asked. At her soft nod, he grinned. Then she told him what Hermes could do, and he was surprised. "He really is different from the others! I thought she would have put up more of a fight. She was always a bit stubborn. He really was made for her."

"And he was made when that batch of sperm that was created with your DNA. You realize that? I think my body just holds onto it and gives out a specialized egg at random. Otherwise, I'm not sure. What do you think?"

"I honestly have no clue. It's a nice idea. But, I don't think I want Ragland to have an opportunity with one of our breeders. It would feel a bit off to me," he admitted.

"I'm starting to think that maybe he should," she thought aloud. "Only because the breeder would know what he wants, can help in the lab with his research and will keep him preoccupied from wanting to run so many tests on the others."

"Hmm," Alex thought. "Someone to keep him in check?"

"That's what I'm thinking. Anyways, when did you want to contact the traitor?"

"I was thinking after you give birth. I'll let Robert get you pregnant again to give him his protective streak for you. He tends to get even more pissed off if he thinks you're going to be under harm when pregnant with him. I noticed that."

"Sounds good," she smiled and he kissed her. He ran a hand over her swelling belly and she showed signs of hunger. Cooked steaks were brought to her, and he noticed she ate a touch more with each new pregnancy. He figured it was because the eggs developed more and more. After she ate, he was deep in thought. When she looked at him, he smiled.

"I'm just thinking of how to lure the bastard here," he said.

"Why don't you work on making a clone?" she suggested.

"I'll have another drone do it. I don't want to lose the Sergent's imprint in my system. Surprisingly, I still have it. I didn't gain a copy from Apollo. You think I would have, too, on taking his blood to see his memories. I wonder if I can't take over the body of a breeder. Hmm. I'd test it, but I'm not going to chance it. We need the breeders. As it is, I'll have a drone take over Leopold's clone, and I'll tell the drone what to say and do. If I have to, I can do the same with the Sergeant. Emergency backup and all."

"That would be an interesting concept. But, now I do have to admit my curiosity."

"Of what?"

"If a drone becomes the body of another, can they breed?"

"That's really…huh. I don't know. They would, technically, have all the parts."

"The only other thing to think about is if they would be sterile."

"I would think that would be the case."

"We could have the doctor test it," she smiled. "Give him something else to do."

"He'll test it now," Alex grinned and kissed her. "I honestly don't think it would work."

"How is that?"

"Think about it. Our drones have been consuming other humans. They showed no need to want to try breeding out. Why should they?"

"Well, they never bothered to try," she said with a wry grin.

"Point made," Alex mused. "Now…hmm…should we test it?"

"I think we should while we have time," she nodded.

"Actually, before we do, I'll have Ragland test to see if they are sterile or fertile. If they are sterile, then there would be no need to. The drone with that technician is with Ragland now. I'll tell you what happens," Alex smiled.

"All right, Zeus," she smiled softly. She felt exhausted now. When she drifted off to sleep, he listened to the hive collective. The breeders on the island had started to make use of the hospital. He had sent drones out with each set of breeders. They were slowly populating various parts of the United States. Only humans with low living areas and no children were selected to be consumed. They took over the lives of the humans. They went to work at their jobs, did their daily habits and appeared to make themselves a fully functional human in that society.

The drones that protected them targeted the homeless. People that no one knew of. When this happened, they would appear as 'new friends' to the breeders. They would become live in roommates and had the ability to simply be active in the home. He did find it hilarious that anyone that tried to break into a home would find themselves suddenly consumed. Most of the time, the burglar was someone unrecognizable and not one to be missed. That form was easily incorporated into the roommate lifestyle with no issues.

There was one case that a burglar was someone with a rather upstanding sales rep. And he had a family. Because of this, the drone that took the human's form understood that it had to be killed off. It was easy to simulate a car wreck. Alex wanted no families to be involved in his carefully planned schemes. At least…not yet. He wasn't sure how a drone could take over a child. He wasn't at that stage to even attempt to test that. He needed to be more secure in various regions before even attempting to target whole families.

At another thought that he could have the breeders raise the kids to accept that their parents were 'different' was another idea, and he mused over it. The child would have to be very young, though. And, when the child was an adult, they would be taken over then. Or even used as a patsy, or a messenger. He didn't really want to use young humans unless he had no other choice. It would be a bit hard to replicate a child's behavior. It was much easier with adults.

A knock on the door brought him out of his thoughts, and Robin let the one who knocked enter. Robert walked in and sat down.

"How many states do we need to have my kids settle in?" Robert asked. "I want a good idea. We can't have them clustered in one area."

"I'm aware of that," Alex nodded. "Dionysus is adamant that he stays here with Athena. Same with Apollo and Aphrodite. They feel that it helps to keep them around. I'm sticking with what they want. As it is, we can easily take a few breeders to Alaska. California now has a breeder set in Los Angeles. New Mexico has a couple of breeder pairs, too. We are trying to target states that they can blend in, but remain hidden from society."

"I know. And with the kids targeting humans with good jobs, decent homes and low populated areas, it's all good to me. I was a bit concerned about Los Angeles, though. That city is rather dense," Robert sighed.

"Not along the outskirts," Alex grinned.

"True," Robert nodded. "I am curious about going International."

"The only way that would happen is at a press conference. Take over a few assistants, get close to the ones in charge with them and infiltrate that way. Trust me, I have been thinking about it. We would always need to be discreet. We could even target people with various family origins to get their passports and papers. That may be another way we can do it. It also means that your kids may need to go into a few areas of New York that are densely populated with such people. It shouldn't be that hard to do. They could take over a whole apartment complex."

"That…does seem to make sense," he agreed. "Anyone can work in New York. Even live there with the right mindset. That won't be too hard. However, when do I call John?"

"I want to wait until Agatha has your next set of kids in her. We may need the drones she births as extra back-up. That second cryo tube is working now. It's easier to get meat supplies. I am a bit concerned about something, though."

"What's that?"

"The military hasn't done any island raids yet. I wonder why?"

"Well, if you want to know a secret," Robert smirked. "John was mainly in charge of all of that. And, we should count our blessings that there are no other raids."

"I know. The moment the raids start, the drones would be discovered. Then national panic would set in. I would love for a few drones to slip into the military personnel faction. It would help give us an edge on what's going on," Alex admitted.

"That will be done when we take John out," the Commander nodded. "My kids can call in various recruits and let their drones take them over. Geez…why the fuck am I talking about this, much less thinking about this?!"

"Because your 'best friend' tried to fuck you over and have you killed. He tried to kidnap Dana. He can fuck off," Alex growled. "He's a fucking maggot and will get _exactly_ what he deserves. Mark my words."

"I just don't understand why," he winced. "I thought that he and I were on a level of understanding. Hell, I fought side-by-side with the man in various skirmishes! We both saved each other's asses!"

"That may be so. But, he is now betraying you. If someone is pulling on his strings, we will take out that one, too. We will be the ones pulling the strings to everyone else. And, think of it this way. When one of your kids becomes John, you'll have more of a reason to be on an equal level. John will likely be one of your sons," Alex grinned.

"That would be funny to think about," he admitted. "And I still don't like you."

"Fuck off," Alex smirked. They laughed at each other and Robert left to get something to eat. He refocused on his mate's growing belly and felt out the eggs. There always seemed to be more in her after each mating. The last batch she gave him had almost a hundred eggs. They seemed to be getting smaller. More compact. But the offspring that hatched were always more advanced than the last batch before it. He had a feeling that she would get up to a hundred eggs and stop at that maxed limit. He wasn't going to complain.

Her belly swelled again, and he smiled softly. Deciding to bide his time, he let the next few hours pass by without any form of interruption.


	15. Chapter 15

When Agatha woke, it was to birthing pains. Alex was already setting new eggs in the waiting tentacles. She hated to admit that it was getting easier to bear each pregnancy. The pattern was now recognizable. It took a full twenty minutes for the eggs to be placed in the waiting tentacles, and Alex sat next to her with a smile.

"Should I see Robert?" she smiled back.

"Yes. Then we can work on getting his betraying schmuck of a friend here," Alex nodded grimly. "What do you think we can break that will be a good lure?"

"The water filtration system," she said calmly. "One of the major systems can fail. We have enough water stored to last for a month. I think one of them was set to fail, anyways. Have the drone technician make the emergency call. I would even go so far to have it escort John here to show how bad the situation is."

"Hmm…" Alex mused with a small grin. "We'll do that."

"So, you want me to see to Robert?" she asked with small grin of her own.

"Before I tell him to fuck off and keep you to myself," he growled and kissed her hard. "Let's get you pregnant with him. Then I'll fuck you hard."

"Don't keep me waiting," she grinned and nipped his chin. He scowled at her to make her laugh as he got up. On opening the door, he found Robert there ready to knock on it. Alex made a gesture to hurry up as he walked past the Commander. Flipping him the bird as he walked in the door, Robert grinned when Agatha started laughing. At his look of amusement, she said, "The two of you are like teenagers. It's really funny at times."

"I think of us as almost two sides of a coin. I hate what I do. He loves it. As much as I argue with him, I do feel that I am starting to understand his logic. What more is there for me to say?" Robert sighed as he undressed. "I hate what I'm doing, but I have no choice in it."

"The moment you agreed to be at my side, you had no choice," she smiled.

"I know," he agreed. "I gained the family I wanted, but in a way that I wasn't expecting. At least I know that my kids are smart."

"You know it," she chuckled and let him move into the bed to claim her.

"I'll…never get…used to this…!" he hissed out, as he gave in to the pleasure that racked his body. "I'm so glad…that no one else…gets to feel this…!"

"Why?" she asked breathlessly.

"It's…torture. In a way…" he winced. As a response, she ran her nails over his back to get him to scream. "Impossible…!"

"Stop talking. Keep fucking," she growled and cried out a sharp thrust he gave her. After the pleasuring hour was done, he rolled off of her and panted for air. She was always no better after an impregnating session. Of course, Alex was the only one to get her to feel like this for the fun of it. Another ten minutes passed and Robert rested a hand over her belly to feel the new eggs forming. He sighed and shook his head. She looked at him curiously.

"It's always ten at a time, isn't it?" he frowned.

"It seems to be that way," she nodded. "Of course, our children seem to make as many drones as I do. When I first had eggs with Alex, it was fifty eggs. It was close to a hundred just now. I don't know how many more will form each time."

"Hopefully not too much more," he smiled. "I doubt you'd have enough room left!"

"Quiet!" she grinned and poked his side. He chuckled and rubbed her belly gently before getting up to dress. "Oh, I think Alex wanted to contact John shortly."

"That's right. Any ideas on how to lure him?" he asked.

"I was thinking one of the main water filters gets tampered. Dana should know how to do it without damaging it too much. Once it malfunctions, the drone with the technician imprint can make the call. You will stay hidden. We don't want you to come out until John is safely trapped. Then you can ask all the questions you want before we have one of our children take him over. Will he have his assistant with him?"

"Yes. He never goes anywhere without her," he nodded.

"Good. I'm sure we have Osiris and Isis ready?" she chuckled.

"You know they've been ready," he grinned. "I do find it funny that they insist on using names from gods and goddesses. What do we do if they run out of names?"

"Well, they each have their own form of mental voice. If they decide to use the same name, it would be easy to tell them apart. I think Aphrodite did that. Our other daughter chose to go with the name Venus. It means the same thing, just in the Roman sense."

"That's right, huh? Same thing with that god of war, Ares. He was known as Mars, right? I think he was."

"Yes, he was," she nodded. When Alex walked in to move to her side, he glared mildly at the Commander. Robert learned how to ignore that rather quickly. After Alex felt the eggs developing did he finally decide to talk.

"Dana is dismantling the main filter pump right now. A heavy piece of floating seaweed is going to be sucked into the filter to block it. After it's in place, the call will be made. She's also going to heavily foul up the filters. To a point that only he can decide if they really need to be replaced. But they'll be fine. Nothing a mild acid wash will fix. She told me something interesting, too," Alex grinned.

"What's that?" Agatha smiled. Robert looked at him curiously.

"Hermes is able to speak to her mentally. Bonded mates like them have the ability," he grinned a bit more. Agatha's jaw dropped with complete surprise. Even Robert was surprised by this. "As much as I don't want to, we may want to see if Ragland can get a breeder female."

"And if a male is created? What do we do?" she frowned.

"We won't know, will we? Not unless we see what happens," he shrugged.

"For once, I have to agree," Robert said with a nod.

"You've agreed with him on other issues, too," she snorted.

"Rare occasions," the Commander corrected her.

"Asshole," Alex growled.

"Fucked up cunt," he muttered back.

"Both of you are idiots!" Agatha growled out, as she adjusted herself to sit up. A moment ago, she found it humorous. Now that the pregnancy hormones were kicking in, she found it childish and irritating. "Maybe you both need to fuck each other and get it over with."

"What?!" Alex gaped at her. "Are you out of your fucking mind?!"

"I should spank you!" Robert said as he flustered up.

"Then both of you shut the fuck up and get me something to eat!" she hissed. Alex wanted to put her in her place, but he paused when he saw the swell of her belly. Scowling softly to himself, he gave one final glare at Robert before leaving the room to get her a steak.

"I don't like other men that way," the Commander said with a small shiver.

"Then grow the fuck up!" she snarled. "Okay. I get it. You hate him. He hates you. Don't show that attention around me! I don't need it. I don't want it. I have enough issues with me constantly giving birth to eggs for both of you! I don't want any more of this shit! Hell, if it wasn't for him, I'd probably be blown up, raped constantly by others or even dismantled by now! Figure out a solution when you're around me! I mean it!"

"Okay…" he winced. He forgot how savage pregnant women could be. She was no exception. "I'm sorry. I'll do what I can."

"Fine," she said with a wince. When Alex appeared with a steak, he paused at the seething glare he got from her. He knew she was livid. Then she looked away with a heavy sigh. She was too irritable to eat now. That wasn't good.

"Check on Dana, if you could," Alex muttered in a neutral tone.

"Done," Robert nodded and left quickly. She took a deep breath and continued to look away. She was clearly too pissed off to think straight.

"You know how I am around him," Alex started.

"Save it!" she snapped. "I don't want to hear it! Be that way somewhere else. Not around me. I don't want to see it anymore. Just…leave the steak and go."

"What?" Alex blinked. She asked him to leave?!

"You heard me!" she growled. He looked away before resorting to his instinct. He moved into the bed with her and hugged her to him. At her trembling shiver, he knew it wasn't with anger. She actually needed this. At her soft whimper, he cringed. There was only one way to fix this, and he knew how. He was _very_ glad that he had memories of various humans that had relationship issues! He knew exactly what to say now.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry…"

"Okay…" she nodded and curled up into him. "I go through so much…and if it wasn't for him…we'd have no breeders…"

"I know," he nodded. "I'll…be more neutral to him. Around you."

"Thank you," she said softly. "If I didn't need a stud, I'm sure I could cope. But…we know that we need him around. The breeders are his kids, too, you know."

"Yeah," he nodded and sighed. "He does have his…values. I know that much."

"That he does," she nodded back. They kissed hard, and it led to the needy mating he promised her earlier. After ten minutes passed, her belly rumbled fiercely. He smiled and pulled the plate over to give to her. She finally started to relax a bit as she ate, and he looked over at the door to find Hermes walking in with concern.

"Mother? Are you okay?" he asked as he sat down.

"I am," she nodded.

"Father was stressed, but then I found out why," he frowned. "My King? Is everything well with you now?"

"To a point," Alex nodded. "Did Dana get pregnant yet?"

"No. I'm starting to think that she needs to be mentally stable to receive a pregnancy. As though, she needs to be fully focused on accepting it. She's not at that point yet. I don't think she's ready for kids. A part of her still thinks that she may turn out like Mother."

"I see," Alex frowned. "Give it time."

"We are," he smiled and nodded. "It's like I told her. I won't go any further than she wants to go. I meant every word."

"Good," Alex nodded.

"Robert is doing well?" Agatha asked. "I am a bit worried about him."

"Father is coping. You may want to talk to him a bit more. He feels…outclassed a bit. He really doesn't like getting yelled at," Hermes chuckled.

"Okay. I'll talk to him," she nodded. Her son nodded and quickly moved out of the room. "Zeus, you may want to prepare a chamber for John."

"Good idea," he smiled. He kissed her again and took the empty plate with him. Right after he left, Robert came back in to sit on the bed.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you," she sighed.

"No, you had every right to," the Commander said with his own heavy sigh. "I was being the typical asshole. You reminded me that there is a time and place to be just that. So, the asshole side is sitting in a corner with a dunce cap on in time-out. When John gets here, the asshole will be out of time-out and ready to kick his ass."

"Good," she nodded. She gave a tired yawn and thought. "Should I even try to approach him? Or should I remain hidden?"

"I wouldn't go near him," he said seriously. "John doesn't deserve to see you. Granted, you can move now. But, who knows when he'll get here? Let our kids and the drones keep you safe. Okay? Don't you worry your pretty little head about anything."

"Really?" she smirked, and he chuckled at her. "I guess, you can talk to Alex and see about what to tell him? Prepare a speech?"

"I can do that," he nodded. He managed to rub her belly and hug her tight to him before letting her settle to rest. Getting up, he walked out of the room. Robin secured the door and nodded to him. A nod back was given, and he found Alex in the control room.

"Fuck head," Alex growled.

"Retarded ass fuck," he replied in kind. That actually got them to pause at each other with odd looks and start laughing. Still snickering a bit, he said, "Yeah. Let's stick to name calling away from Agatha. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Alex nodded. "Anyways, I think the storeroom that Leopold took me to before would be a good place to corner John."

"No. He'll catch on. Besides, whatever he breaks, we can fix. Right?"

"We can. Maybe we'll order the supplies first so that they arrive with him. Where do you think we should corner him?"

"The lab. You can show him a 'new strain' of mutation. Let him see an egg. It will shock him just enough for us to get the upper hand. I always knew him to get weird around stuff that is beyond his control."

"I think we have a batch of drones about to hatch in an hour or two. Would that work?"

"That would be perfect," Robert grinned.

"I don't mind him being in the lab for it, either, as long as he doesn't try to break anything. We don't want that to happen."

"He won't. Hmm. I wonder…"

"What?" Alex asked now.

"Leopold always gave shots to people when they first came on the base to stay a night or two. That's something I had to get. I had to stay overnight before being able to leave on the sub. Maybe we can prepare a shot that can paralyze him," Robert mused.

"We'll do that," Alex grinned wickedly. "And you're right. The fat fuck did give shots to outsiders. Hmm. Well, I'll be damned…"

"What?"

"He made any males sterile that came here!"

"What?!"

"Yeah. A precaution that happened when they were to see Agatha being formed. He was one jealous dick. I'll give him that. It's almost like he was making Agatha for himself. Glad I killed him off first. Anyways, he never gave John a shot. But, there is a flu going around. We could say that it's a flu shot. Best one out there."

"May as well," Robert said. "When do we make the call?"

"It will take two hours for the filters to be properly jammed up. We'll do it then," Alex nodded. They nodded to each other, and the drones were notified of a possible pick-up. The base was now ready to set up the trap and wait.


	16. Chapter 16

John was not expecting to get a phone call early in the morning. He just had his breakfast of the usual scrambled eggs, bacon, coffee and toast when his assistant came to him with his phone. He gave her an odd look and she shrugged. Her exotic beauty was what really pulled him to her. She was a touch Japanese with mainly American roots. She was bilingual, too, and her family was well known to work in International defenses. How else would he be able to get his hands on such equipment for hidden experiments and advances?

"It's not even daybreak!" he grumbled.

"Well, I'm not the one who made the call," she smirked back with sensual lips. She had her black curls tucked up various curlers to enhance the effect when they came out. Her brown eyes seemed to sparkle with a form of amusement as she regarded him. She was spoiled rotten, but she also got the job done for him. Her slight figure was fit and trim with cardio workouts and healthy eating. As much as he wanted to admire her figure, the phone rang again. He gave a mutter of defeat and answered the phone.

"Hello?" he said briskly.

"Sir! It's David Bertowski calling from Site Nine. We have a technical problem. I need you here, Sir. It needs to be evaluated by you," his technician said calmly.

"What's going on?" John asked. Now he was concerned.

"Main filter malfunction. No water is vacuuming through to be processed. Before I order the replacement parts, you need to do the inspection. I also learned that Project Hera has been activated and fully functional," the man said again in a quieter tone.

"WHAT?!" John gaped with solid disbelief. "And that fat fuck of a scientist never told me?! When was that project operational?! When?!"

"About a month ago. Project Hera is back at base. Project Zeus is terminated. Since I'm talking to you from here, the bomb was removed and disposed of. As of right now, female DNA is being secured. Plans for her to be bred out are underway."

"Fuck!" John hissed. "I told that fat fucker to _not_ activate her unless I was present!"

"Apparently," he heard the technician smirk. "You couldn't be contacted. We both know how much of a horny bastard he is. I think he only plans to be the only one to breed with her. Or at least the first to try. You know how 'hands on' he likes to be with his creations. You might want to get down here ASAP. I'll try to stall him the best I can."

"Do that!" John growled.

"Oh, Sir," the man said.

"What?"

"There is something else you should know."

"And what's that?"

"Commander Harrison knows of the project. He was contacted by Sergeant Thomas. Also, the satellite you replaced? The junk one? Apparently, it was to replace the satellite for here. That other one…it blew up from a malfunction…"

"Are you shitting me?!" John said with solid disbelief once again.

"Sir, you send me here all the time to report to you on what I find. This is what I found out. It's a solid goat fuck all around. Commander Harrison isn't here, but I learned he plans to return. Leopold thinks that he could become a viable male for her."

"Son of a bitch!" he scowled. "Delay everything! I'm on my way! Have they found a female strand yet?"

"No, Sir."

"I'll bring Lynette. She'll be the strain. Get the transport ready for me in one hour!"

"I already notified transport. They will be waiting at the dock," the technician nodded. John closed off the connection and seethed. Robert knew everything. He was a crafty fox. John knew this. But why was he contacted?! And now Leopold wants Robert to be a possible candidate for breeding out Project Hera? Something was strange. Yet, it came from his technician. The man never lied to him. Why would he lie about something this important? As he thought over the situation, he grumbled. If the main water filter failed, he had no choice. He had to examine it for himself. He had to judge how damaged it was. That was a major expense, too, if it couldn't be repaired! He noticed that Lynette looked worried.

"What's wrong?" he finally asked her.

"Do I…have to be used for that thing?" she trembled.

"I would want no other to hold the honor," he smiled gently.

"I really don't want to do it," she cringed.

"Lynette, what did you promise your father before agreeing to be my assistant?" he asked. "When you expressed how much you wanted to assist me?"

"To uphold your every wish."

"And have you done that so far?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to go back on it?"

"Ah…" she hesitated before finally giving a soft sigh. "No."

"Good," he chuckled and stood up to hug her. "Go pack us two suitcases for an overnight stay. All right? It should be a very fast trip. All I have to do is check on the filter issue and agree to replace it. If it was a secondary filter, I could have simply given the okay to fix. The main filter is a half a million dollar fix if it's bad enough. I need to really judge if I want to front that bill. It won't set me back, but I don't like spending that much unless I have to. I don't want to go there, but this is something I have to do. I need you at my side."

"Yes, Sir," she nodded. Her duty to serve came back in full. "I shall prepare for travel."

"Excellent," he smiled. He watched her leave with his eyes firmly on her rump. He chuckled and went to the file cabinet to pull out the specs of the expensive filter. He wanted everything with him before making the call to either fix or replace. He still couldn't get the nagging thought out of his mind that Leopold never told him that Project Hera was operational. He would want to check on that personally. He also wanted to see what the finished project looked like. He was never permitted to see the tank. Now he realized that Leopold really was keeping the finished details to himself. That would change as of now.


	17. Chapter 17

Back on the underwater base, Alex was grinning at the drone's performance. It was perfection. Complete perfection. The bait was easily taken, and even Robert was impressed.

"You'll need to hide in your office," Alex said to the Commander.

"I know. How is Agatha?" he asked.

"She hasn't quite hit that fast pace yet. That will happen an hour after John gets here. I'm going to have Nick be the one to take on Leopold's appearance. He does have my claws, and he is of our personal entourage. He will remain here with us at all times. I'll have Aden be an extra copy of Sergeant Thomas. We have less than an hour to prepare."

"That we do," Robert agreed.

"I'm checking on my mate. If you have a fitting uniform, I suggest you wear it."

"Good call."

"Nick will tell you when the submarine arrives," Alex smirked. They parted ways, and Alex went into Agatha's bedroom. She looked at him curiously, and he sat on the bed to tell her what was going on. She chuckled at the successful ploy and sighed.

"He wants to see me, doesn't he?" she thought.

"He would," he nodded.

"I should be presentable."

"I don't want that sorry sack of failed fuck to see you!" he scowled.

"But, he should see what he helped create before dying by the same means. Shouldn't he?" she grinned wickedly. "I'm sure he would have been one of the men wanting to rape me."

"Hmm," he frowned. "I don't know. How would you dress?"

"I can wear a toga with my belly revealed. It would only be fitting. Right, Zeus?" she murmured. He pulled her close with a small grin.

"We can have that made for you. As long as he doesn't see you naked."

"As if I want him to! I just want to be the last thing he sees before Osiris fucks him over. I think it would be fitting. Then his bank account and connections would belong to us."

"There is something you should know about his assistant."

"Oh?"

"She has family connections in Japanese tech and warfare…"

"Looks like her family connections would need to be confiscated. How did you find out? Who's memories revealed this to you?"

"That technician. When my drone took him out, I learned quite a bit. There are other labs and places that John managed discreetly. It makes sense how a Foreign transmitter was tagged on Robert when he brought back clothing. John had access to it."

"That he did," Agatha mused.

"I may want to collect some DNA from that assistant to make a clone. I think Kim would look nice with the form here," he chuckled. "I could have Robin take on an extra form of John."

"Just as a backup?" she smiled.

"Of course," he nodded. "I'll also need to take a sample of blood from Osiris and Isis after the target forms are consumed. I will need the memories."

"I figured that," she sighed as her belly rumbled. Kim brought over a plate of seared meat and fish for her. At a thought while she ate, she asked, "How are we on food for the livestock? I know that such things don't last forever."

"True. I have a few drones taking care of them. We have a few goats, and about four cows left with that bull. Grain isn't too bad right now. Same with the hay. Maybe I can find out where the livestock originally came from. We may need to have a breeder pair take over a farm. This way, we can get adequate meat and feed for them. With enough drones, it will be easy to maintain. What do you think?"

"We should," she agreed fully. "Excess meat and foodstuffs can be given to our other breeders. They need to eat. The drones don't."

"We could see about getting some chickens. The manure they make would go to the garden, anyways. Same with the cattle. We haven't killed any of the goats yet, but they were mainly for Dana and Ragland. We had so much meat from the cows that we really didn't need to slaughter them. I think one could be harvested for you. We could see about trying some pork for you. I really want you to eat a variety of different proteins. It would help."

"Don't mother me!" she giggled, and he nuzzled her. "I was curious about getting some shrimp and other seafood lines, too."

"We can do that," he nodded. He looked over at the door when Robin let in Dana.

"Hey, guys!" she smiled with a wave. Hermes appeared right behind her with a small smile of his own. "What's the plan?"

"John will be here shortly. You are to remain hidden. We are discussing means of getting other livestock here like chicken and pork, as well as a means to feed them. We may be looking at taking over a couple farms. It shouldn't be too bad," Alex said.

"Oh!" Dana gasped at the mention of possible pigs coming down. "You know I'm going to want some ham! Honey cured!"

"Hmm," Alex mused. "A beehive might be too much. We may have to settle for pre-packaged supplies of that. Easy to get, though. Maybe I can have some ham sent down first to see if Agatha likes it. Same with some chicken products. If it works for her, we can see about getting some breeding pairs. Shouldn't be too much of a problem. Goat meat is nice, but we need to conserve what we have. We didn't have to kill any goats, but I may have one taken apart just to see if she likes the flavor."

"We should see about exotic stuff, too," Dana giggled. "Like deer and duck."

"I like that idea," he grinned.

"You never told me you were such a carnivore," Hermes grinned at his mate.

"You never asked!" Dana grinned back. "There is a lot that you don't know about me."

"We need to fix that," he said with a wicked grin. She paled and squeaked when he tossed her onto his shoulder. "My King, I'll be keeping her properly distracted while the intruders are here. If you need us, let us know."

"I will let you know. Don't worry," Agatha said with a soft laugh.

"Of course, Mother," he chuckled and left for his room with a blushing Dana.

"He really does suit her," she smiled.

"He was made for her," Alex smiled back. At her rumbling gut, the rest of the hour was dedicated to feeding her and letting her rest. When the alarm signaled that the submarine was fast approaching, he grinned wickedly.

"Get us some new connections," Agatha smiled and let him kiss her fiercely. He left with the guise of Sergeant Thomas in full effect. It was time for the trap to spring.

"Is everything ready?" he asked Nick.

"Yes," it responded. "Osiris and Isis are waiting nearby. Robert is waiting in the lab. Doctor Ragland is hiding in the back office of the lab. Several eggs are almost at the point of fast growth. Everything is prepared."

"What about the clones?" he asked. As a response, Nick became a perfect copy of Leopold's form. Alex nodded and sent over every memory the man had. When the mental acknowledgement that the same was done with the Sergeant, the same thing was done for the memory transfer. The more the drones knew how to look and act, the more realistic it would be. Various drones were dressed up in hazmat suits and waiting near the submarine entrance.

"The submarine is almost here," Aden said as the drone walked over.

"Good. Nick, go wait near the lab. You'll know when to appear," Alex nodded. After it left, Alex smirked and became the guise of Sergeant Thomas. It was show-time.


	18. Chapter 18

John detected nothing out of the ordinary when he walked out of the submarine with Lynette. The drones that managed the submarine were spot on with their appearances and actions. They simply had to be when it came to working with other humans. It was the same with the drones that worked the fuel station. None of the drones took over a heavy military official. That was where John was going to break that barrier.

Alex knew that only breeder sets would be the ones to take over powerful figures. They can make the best safe-houses and breeding locations. There was only one thing that did worry him. The assistant was always with John. They were never apart. Another drone would need to take over her face and form. They could act out what they normally did as the breeder female was safely tucked away. It would likely be done after the breeders started to make their own drones. Or another set of breeder drones would be used. The latter would have to be done.

"My King," Dionysus said as he walked over.

"You aren't to be seen," Alex growled.

"I know, but we have ten minutes until the intruders are settled and ready to be spoken to. One of the drones you and Mother made came up to me to tell me what you were thinking of. I have a small solution for the issue of having the assistant with the replica of John," he chuckled.

"Oh?" Alex mused. "I'll hear it."

"Have one of your drones be John. One of our drones will be the assistant. They are never apart, anyways. Yes, Osiris and Isis will be the ones to take over the true forms, but we should have duplicates. I'm sure you know this, too. Send out the duplicates to keep assassination attempts away. They can glean new memories for us. Of course, we'll keep a good portion of DNA here for future clones, but I think this will work best."

"You have too much of Robert's personality."

"No. I'm a lot more relaxed than Father ever will be," Dionysus grinned.

"There is one thing that baffles me," Alex admitted.

"And what's that, my King?"

"Why do you and Apollo want to stay?"

"My King," the breeder male chuckled. "We feel that having us around not only helps Father. We know that Mother likes to see us, too. Granted, Aphrodite and Athena can't really see her, but it's just knowing that she has family here. Our drones go out into the world with yours to create a counter-balance. We learn what you learn to help Mother. She can only see what we see. It helps her feel more equal with you, and she learns at the same rate as you when it comes to learning of new territories. It helps her stay calm that much more. I do have a suggestion, though. You may want to consider it."

"I'm listening."

"After John and his assistant are properly brought into the fold, see about sending this next batch of my siblings to other countries. Granted, we may be able to go to Japan after this. However, we need to start spreading out to other areas. I know that Ares and Artemis plan to station themselves in Mexico. They were hinting it to me."

"Really? I thought they wanted to settle in Las Vegas?"

"Anubis and Bastet are going to do that. They always did like the ability to make fame and fortune. They don't even have to take anyone over. However, they were thinking of possibly taking over a casino owner. Not sure how that would work, but they have been gambling rather well. They started to make us a bit of profit!"

"Is that so?" Alex blinked with a bit of amusement. "Nothing illegal that would have them found out, though. Right?"

"No. Nothing like that. But, because of their continued success, they have been contacted by the casino owner. Anubis agreed to give back ten percent of the proceeds he won in exchange for free lodging and food. A penthouse was given to him," Dionysus grinned. "It is now a new breeder lair. At least the back room is. He has also started to have his drones start taking over the staff. He does like the owner of the casino. He's sort of thinking of him as a bit of a pet. It's really funny! But, of course, he's not going to give away our secret. The only time he'll take over the owner is if he's discovered."

"As it should be," Alex agreed. "Good. I am going to want him to send over fifty percent of what he wins."

"He's been putting it into Father's bank account," the breeder male chuckled. "Father has no idea. So far, he has over three million sitting in his account."

"You better tell him so he can start helping us with those funds!" Alex hissed with amazement, and Dionysus started laughing with a nod.

"Yes, my King!" he laughed with a small salute. "Osiris also wanted me to bring something of attention to you. If we manage to get to Brazil, we should look into taking over a diamond mine. Even start seeing if we can get into the precious metal corporations, too. It helps to have tradable values as well as liquid cash."

"That is definitely something to look into. I was also thinking of farmland."

"Yes. That would be a must," Dionysus nodded. "Ah, the intruders are on their way now. I'll take my leave, my King."

"Thanks for the pep talk," he smirked. A light chuckle was given in reply, and the breeder male left. He liked Dionysus. He seemed to hold all the rational parts that Robert lacked. Apollo was more on the strict, disciplinary side. It was rather interesting how it worked out. Each breeder set seemed to gain a distinct part of Robert's personality and improved on it. However, he wasn't going to see if another male would breed with Agatha. Fuck that!

He was still in his guise of Sergeant Thomas when John appeared with Lynette. He simply gave a curt nod, but he did let his gaze move over Lynette's form. The memories revealed that the Sergeant always found her desirable, and he wasn't going to flaw the acting.

"Stop looking at my assistant!" John growled. "Anyways, where is David? The technician brought here? He said a filter was broken."

"Yes, Sir. This way, Sir," Alex said in a flawless tone.

"I also want to talk to that fat bastard, Leopold!" John snapped. "Let me talk to him first. I need to find out a few things. Then I'll assess the filtration issue."

"Of course, Sir. It will be done, Sir," he said again in his monotone way to show the order would be obeyed. He started to lead the old Commander and his assistant to the lab.

"Lynette will be used to become Project Hera's strain of female hormones. Why wasn't I told that Project Hera was operational?" John asked.

"I do not know, Sir. My commanding officer, Leopold, has his reasons, Sir. I will let you get all of the answers from him, Sir," Alex said obediently. He could sense Lynette's discomfort at being used for Agatha, and he smirked when he wasn't looked at. The whore would be used for far more than that. She would be the new key for International take overs.

"He'd better give me all of the answers!" John muttered. When they got to the laboratory, the eggs were carefully hidden away for now. They wanted nothing out of the ordinary to be seen. The drone with Leopold's face and form was seen hovering over a microscopic slide. It was as though he was studying a new disease with utmost fascination. "Leopold! There you are!"

"What?!" the drone said with precise acting. "What are you doing here?! With a flu going around? Are you crazy?! You and her will both need a vaccination!"

"We don't need shots," John growled.

"Well, you do with Project Hera being active! I can't chance her being infected with something else!" the drone spat. "Yes, she's an antivirus, but only to Project Zeus. I can't have anything outside this lab tamper with what she has. Either take the vaccine or leave!"

"This is _my_ underwater lab!" the old Commander argued.

"That may be so, but it's under _my_ supervision!" the drone snarled back. "I can't have any unknown diseases come through! Granted, the hazmat team may have hosed you down externally, but I know nothing about anything internally! You'll learn nothing from me about Project Hera until you get the vaccine with your assistant! There is a rather nasty flu going around up there. It's not like I don't know about it! I had the entire submarine crew get vaccination shots, too. It's a precaution."

"Fine. Give me the fucking shot," John muttered. "And you better tell me everything about Project Hera!"

"You'll learn what you need to learn," the drone said, as he gave both shots over to John and the assistant. The paralyzing drug would only affect the limbs, but it would take time to settle. "Anyways, yes. Project Hera has been active for some time. I tried to contact you, but your assistant kept saying that you were in a meeting and couldn't be disturbed."

"Lynette?!" John asked with a form of disbelief in his tone.

"He never contacted me!" she swore. "If he did, you _know_ that I would have told you post-haste! That was always something I did for you!"

John knew she spoke the truth. The Leopold drone was back at the slide it was busily examining. It was actually a new viral strain for an egg injection, but they wouldn't know. Alex was there in his Sergeant Thomas guise, and he was musing over a data report to stay out of the way. He was grinning at everything that was going on.

"Who told you to get Commander Harrison involved?" John asked.

"Who? It was Thomas's idea, actually. Said the man owed him. Something like that," the Leopold drone shrugged. "When I saw him, I figured he would be a good specimen for Agatha. Project Hera, to you. Of course, I naturally had to fuck her first. As for a viable female strain of hormones, don't worry. I found someone else a bit more suitable."

"Sergeant Thomas got Robert involved?!" John gaped and looked at Alex. The Sergeant's form looked over and shrugged.

"I helped Commander Robert Harrison get out of a nasty situation. I took the punishment. I knew he would be useful. Sorry for going over your head, Sir. I was told to find someone ASAP. He was the only one I could think of. You were only to be contacted if an emergency happened. I only did what I was told," Alex said smoothly.

"You son of a bitch! That would have been considered an emergency!" John hissed.

"Who was the female chosen?" Lynette asked out of curiosity.

"Project Zeus still had a living biological sibling. A sister. She was caught and brought here. She is the female strain and under heavy monitoring," Alex said calmly.

"You got one of Project Zeus's family to…" John thought. "How?"

"It was easy to do once Project Zeus was under control," the Leopold drone said without a care in the world. "We didn't really need to destroy it."

"Wait…what?!" John gaped again.

"In fact, that Commander was able to produce quite a few offspring with Project Hera. I have one under evaluation right now," the drone continued and neatly changed the subject off of Alex. Now the old Commander was floored at the sight of an egg being removed from a glass tube. It was actually a drone from Alex's last brood, but that didn't matter. The effect was perfect. John stared with dumb-founded fascination at the small fetus. Lynette was scared out of her mind. What did she walk into?! What was she witnessing?

"I need to check on Project Hera," Alex said calmly once more. "I know you are busy, Sir. Project Hera is pregnant again. I need to monitor her. Leopold, Sir? May I check on her?"

"That she is. Fine. Feed her," the drone nodded. Alex nodded slightly, and John moved quickly to follow him. "Whatever you do, don't disturb her! The defenses may go off!"

"I won't," John muttered. "Lynette? Come with me. And keep your wits about you."

"Yes, Sir," she shivered and followed him.

"Sergeant, where is Robert now?" John asked.

"I last heard he was on his way here. After we see to Project Hera, did you want to check on the filtration system?" Alex asked smoothly. "It may be needed."

"Right…" John frowned. His body was starting to feel sluggish. Why was that? He shook off the feeling and was led into the meat locker chamber before the bedroom. Robin was out of sight. The drones had to remain hidden for now. On opening the bedroom door, Agatha was sitting up in the bed. Her belly was starting to swell, and John paused in shock at her inhuman beauty. She glanced over at him with her pastel blue eyes, smirked and smiled fondly at the Sergeant. Alex walked over to run a hand over her belly and whisper in her ear.

"So…this is John?" she asked. Her ethereal tone also caught the old Commander by surprise. He wasn't expecting that. Lynette was clearly jealous. "And his assistant. How quaint! Shall we have some lunch? I am getting hungry, anyways."

"I can arrange something," Alex nodded.

"Oh, make sure that Robert is here, too. He did just arrive," she smiled.

"What?" John blinked.

"You must be exhausted! You both need chairs. And get them some tea and coffee," she said without missing a beat. She was playing out as the perfect hostess, and her eyes lit up at who appeared next. "Robert! There you are. We were going to have lunch."

"Is that so? I'm not very hungry, but I'll have something," Robert nodded as he walked in. He completely ignored John and the assistant. He knew she was just biding time before the paralysis drugs kicked in. He was all for helping with that. He sat next to Agatha on the bed and ran a hand over her belly. "The kids growing more yet?"

"They will be soon," she sighed and winced at a stretch. "As you can see, that phase is starting. Then I'll be giving birth in two hours. You know that Alex will be with me after that."

"I know it," Robert chuckled.

"Wait…" John said now. "Alex?"

"Oh, yes. Alex. My mate. You know him as Project Zeus," she chuckled. Now John put a hand over his heart with complete shock. He had no idea. How could he? When he saw Sergeant Thomas's wide grin as the form shifted back to Alex's natural one, he felt weak in the knees. Lynette had fallen to the floor when the paralyzing drug took full effect. John looked over at his disabled assistant and felt the drug finally steal the strength from his limbs next.

Isis and Osiris were now in the room at Agatha's mental call. Isis had her father's steel-grey eyes, but held her mother's hair, beauty and perfection. Osiris had his mother's hair, but it was cropped short. He also held his mother's eyes, and his build was rather buff. They both looked down at what they would become to help their race take part in human society. Lynette's heart was racing, and she screamed when Isis came up behind her to yank her head back. Several vials of blood were quickly filled before the breeder female consumed her. Then she stood up with a smile and reverted back to her normal form. When Osiris was ready to take over the old Commander, he paused at his father's mental command.

"Osiris, wait," Robert said. "I want to ask him one crucial thing first."

"Yes, Father," his son nodded.

"Father?!" John gasped.

"Yeah. I'm a dad to over fifty kids," he grinned. "Grandfather, too, from the hundreds of drones they produce. It's a slow process."

"But, you're a soldier of the United States army!" John argued.

"I was until you started to spy on me," Robert glared. Now the old Commander gaped with disbelief on how he knew. "Yeah. Your spy was taken over. We know it was you. Every project you hid under the government's nose will belong to us. Thanks. Anyways, I just want to know why you decided to spy on me. I really want to know in your words before my son kills you. I think it would help."

"You were…reported to have a lot of misconduct. It was a safety measure to ensure that the rumors were false. I had to take action! When you went missing for several days and suddenly returned, we had to find out what went wrong. Even with the calls you made to explain yourself, I had to make sure you were being truthful…"

"Well, if you want the honest approach, I'll give it to you. I went missing for three days because I was lured here. This son of a bitch," Robert growled and pointed to a grinning Alex. "Managed to coerce me into coming here. I was trapped. He used whatever crap made him to pin me to a wall. I refused to eat or drink anything until Agatha, Project Hera, that is, came up to me. I…vowed not to go against her wishes. When I learned what happened from her on how she teamed up with him, yes. I hated what I promised. The island that's quarantined is over-run with their kids. As much as I wanted to report it, I had vowed not to. I am a man of my word. I keep my vows and promises. Unlike you."

"You agreed to ally with the enemy?!" John asked with solid disbelief. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"It was either that or have Doctor Bradley Ragland shove a feeding tube into my gut," he shrugged. "Either way, I get a family that's self-containing, I get to fuck a gorgeous woman whenever I get the chance to and I feel like I'm contributing to something. A sick way to contribute, but I'm leaving a mark on the world."

"You won't get away with this!" John hissed when vials of his blood were now taken.

"We already did," Alex grinned wickedly, and Osiris was given the nod from Robert to consume the older man. "Feeling better, Commander?"

"Much," Robert nodded. Blood samples were given to Alex from Osiris and Isis to share the new memories, and they were gleaned. "Japan is next on the list?"

"You bet your ass it is!" Alex nodded.

"Let's wait until Osiris and Isis settle in and start a routine. Then we'll look into Japan," Agatha smiled. "Oh, by the way. I'm starving."

"Yes, dear," Robert chuckled and left to help with the food.

"I think it went rather well," Alex smiled softly.

"Oh, it went perfectly!" she chuckled. "Now fix the fucking filtration system before I get really pissed off, okay? I don't want that damaged for too long. And make sure that Robert transfers half of his funds to us!"

"On it," Alex nodded. She chuckled softly and mused to herself. So far, the day was ending the way it needed to. As her belly stretched again, she started to think of having a type of collection started up here. She wouldn't mind trying out various exotic foods and meats. It would be nice to see what new proteins from different animals would do. She may get even stronger offspring. She would likely discuss it with Alex later on. Right now, all of her strength was focused on the growing breeder eggs. With a soft sigh, she ate what was given to her and drifted off to sleep in Alex's protective embrace.


	19. Chapter 19

It took a week for the new breeder couple to settle in the old Commander's home. The drones that accompanied them quickly took over the whole staff that kept up the place. There was an impressive farm, a vineyard, a safe-house bunker and constant weekly supply drops. The place was a gold mine for rare collectibles and hidden stores of cash, too.

"Impressive," Agatha mused at an opened suitcase filled with stacks of hundred dollar bills. "He's been keeping his own form of emergency currency."

"He was," Alex nodded. "There's at least a million bucks in that suitcase alone. That assistant he had knew nothing of this. He was only using her for her family connections to warfare. Speaking of which, they will be checking on her soon. He vowed to keep her protected. One of her brothers will be coming out in a month to view the place. We have a few of our latest breeders living there. The land is massive and expansive."

"And it's settled along the edge of a forest for easy hunting," she chuckled at the site of grilled deer steak being served to her. "I am very impressed with this taste and texture."

"I did notice that our latest batch of drones seemed…stronger, too. With the leaner meats. You did like that deer heart," he grinned.

"The hearts are very tasty," she nodded with complete agreement.

"Um, Alex?" Dana said, as she walked in with Hermes. "I need your help."

"What's up?" he asked.

"She's not feeling well," Hermes frowned.

"How is that?" Agatha asked with her concern peaked.

"I just feel…funny. I guess," Dana shrugged.

"Hmm…" Alex thought, and he went over various random memories. "When was your last period? Do you remember?"

Now Hermes's eyes widened, and he looked at her with surprise. The thought didn't even come to him that she could be pregnant. Dana thought back, and her eyes widened, too. At her look of shock, Hermes scooped her up and said, "We're going to Ragland. Thanks."

"Let me know what happens!" Agatha said.

"You will be the first to know, Mother," he vowed. She nodded and now Alex was deep in thought about something. At her look, he sighed.

"I'm going to help them. You'll be fine?" Alex asked.

"I will," she nodded. She was pregnant with their drones, but it wasn't at the more intense phase yet. He pressed a kiss to her mouth and went to the lab. Dana had the ultrasound machine being done. The result was true.

"Definitely pregnant!" the doctor chuckled. "You appear to be about one week along."

"Really?!" she gasped. Hermes was simply elated at this.

"Yes. But…look at how fast the fetus is developing. When did you start feeling funny?" Ragland asked. "We know that Agatha's pregnancies are insanely quick."

"Um…early this morning. I was with Hermes in the shower. I didn't really have a period since getting injected with Agatha's blood, now that I think about it," she frowned.

"How long did it take for Agatha to be formed from fetus to adult?" the doctor asked.

"Good question," Alex said, and he brought up Leopold's memories. "Okay. The fetus was fully matured in nine days. One month was pushed into one day. If Dana's baby was made this morning, then it's possible that it could be the same thing. Then it was almost as though one day became a year of growth. So, eighteen days was the same thing as eighteen years. But, it's only one fetus. Can we find out more?"

"I could, but it would involve me putting a needle in her to get the DNA extraction," Ragland sighed. "The fetus is too small for that right now. We should wait about four days to see if this is true. There will be enough there for a proper blood pull."

"A freak baby. Awesome," Dana frowned. She giggled at a small, tickling poke from Hermes and let him hug her tight.

"But, now I wonder," Alex mused. "If your baby is developing like Agatha did, are you able to give birth to Queens and Kings? Like Agatha being a Queen herself?"

"WHAT?!" Dana gaped at the thought. Hermes was now in complete shock.

"That…would be rather…hard to think about," Ragland blinked. "It would make sense, though. I wonder if any breeder male or female could be with this child in the future now. Or any human injected with that offspring's blood."

"We'll see what happens," Hermes said to try and ease Dana's thoughts. "Until then, I'm going to enjoy my pregnant mate. Thank you, my King, and thank you, Doctor Ragland. Dana, my dearest love, I am going to pamper your ass like crazy!"

"No!" she gasped, as he scooped her up to take her back to their room to make good on his word. Alex chuckled and studied Ragland carefully. The doctor was actually thinking about something. He appeared perplexed.

"What's on your mind?" Alex finally asked.

"As much as I know I would feel awkward about it," he started. "I don't think I would mind a companion, too. Likely not from Dana, though."

"If you have another batch of sperm for me, we can arrange something when Robert has Agatha again. We can try it and see if the same thing would happen," Alex nodded.

"I'll get to work on it," Ragland nodded back and disappeared into the lab. Alex smirked and went back to Agatha to find her talking to Robert.

"I had no idea how much wealth John had," the Commander sighed. "I doubt anyone did. Then again, he never invited anyone over to his house for tea."

"Only those of high rank," Alex muttered as he sat down on the bed. "Oh. You're going to be a grandfather. Dana's pregnant."

"What?!" Robert asked with surprised. The discovery was now laid bare to him, as well as the possibilities of what the future offspring could be. Now Agatha was amused.

"It would simplify things if single breeders could bond with children that Ragland and Dana produce," she giggled. "But, how would it work with a female breeder and Ragland?"

"Only one way to find out," Alex chuckled. "Ragland is working on another batch of sperm for me. He's interested in trying to get a breeder to work with him."

"Scary thought," Robert shivered. "But, well, what else is there to do?"

"We should start studying various areas of Japan," Agatha said. "What areas would be the best places to start populating? From what I can see with Isis's memories that she got, practically everywhere is packed. Rooms are very small spaces. Houses only seem to appear in the vast countryside with farming and production."

"True. I would be nice to see if we can get some Wagyu beef. Also known as Kobe. The meat is supposed to be very tender and much better than local beef. They feed alcohol to the cattle to, supposedly, tenderize the meat more. Nothing's been proven, though. I think it's just a hydration factor," Alex shrugged. "Think we can get ahold of some, Robert?"

"Hmm," the Commander thought. "Maybe we can just get a breeding pure-blood set of them here. It would be rough, though. We don't have that much more room to sustain too much more. If we slaughter two cows, keep the bull and one breeding cow, and maybe two of the goats, we might have room for three Wagyu cows. Of course, one being a bull. We didn't get any pigs in. The chickens are small enough that they seem to work."

"I did like the goat meat. It was different," Agatha smiled. "Even pork was rather sweet. Dana was thrilled when we gave her that ham."

"She demolished that ham," Alex chuckled.

"I wonder. Has she asked for any more?" she mused. When she mentally contacted Hermes, her thoughts were correct. "She needs more ham. I think that's what she needs. She liked the sweetness of it."

"Really? Well, Hermes knows what she likes, obviously. We'll work with it," Alex nodded. Robert smiled and decided to pay Dana a small visit. Walking out of the room and down the halls, he sighed and looked over his life. He still couldn't get over what he was doing. Glancing at who walked up next to him, he found himself looking at a perplexed Dionysus.

"Father, don't beat yourself up over it. Please?" his son said.

"You know I can't help it," Robert admitted.

"Do you regret making me?"

"No! Of course, I don't!"

"Granted, your glory days are over. They could be just beginning, too, you know. And, just so you know, Osiris told me something interesting yesterday. I didn't want to bring it up. It would have really hurt you."

"What did he find out?"

"You were going to be 'honorably discharged' from the military within the year. Possibly sooner," Dionysus winced. At his father's incredulous gaze, he continued, "The military upholding officials felt that your sudden absence and cleaning out of your office forced their hand in the decision. You would have received a pension, a few awards and a couple honorable mentions. It would have been done at a surprise military ball. Then a strict honor guard would have been assigned to you at all times to ensure that no attacks happened to you."

"Those fucking sons of bitches! After all I fucking did for them?!" his father seethed. "I fucking _called_ each one of those bastards! I told them why I was gone!"

"We all know," his son agreed. "As much as they believed your issue, they felt that it was possibly best to simply cut you off at quick, so to speak. If you were under attack, they didn't want any of the facilities that you visited to become a target."

"Fuck them all!" he snarled. "I'm done playing the good guy!"

"You were done with that the moment you met Mother," his son smirked. Now he got a surprising bone-crushing hug from Robert and a kiss to his forehead.

"Don't leave the base. Just stay put to help me stay sane," Robert muttered.

"Of course, Father. I made no plans to leave, anyways," Dionysus smiled and hugged him back like a son would. "Did you want to see Athena?"

"Yeah," he smiled back. He didn't care that his family was made of mutations now. He didn't care that the world was likely going to fall under attack to something he helped create. He know felt that the world owed him. He kept his country safe for who knows how long, and they were getting ready to slap him in the face to force him to back off. His own parents had died in their own car wreck a long time ago, and the grandparents were long gone when he joined the military. He was an only child. Now he had a massive army of a family. And, for the first time since they left to go off on their own, he could actually feel the immense show of love and trust that they sent to him now. He couldn't hear their thoughts, but he could feel their emotional relief. He finally accepted them in full.

He was now shown how much he was worth to them. They would all die to protect him, as well as each other. He didn't need any form of body guards. He didn't need any form of rewards or speeches of honor. He had his kids. When he saw Athena, she was able to walk around after the birth of drones she just had. This was her window to give him the hug he needed. This was his daughter. A beautiful woman that was fucking her brother, but he let that slide. Like he told Dana before. It was a giant, viral, red-neck family. And he was very happy to be a part of it now.

"Are you crying, Father?" Athena asked with a twinkle of amusement in her steel-grey eyes. "I've never known you to cry."

"It's a malfunction in the sprinkler system," he said without missing a beat.

"There are no sprinkler systems in here," Dionysus grinned.

"Shut up," Robert scowled and rubbed his knuckles on his son's head.

"Father!" his son exclaimed with disbelief, and Athena burst out into laughter. Robert looked over to find Apollo and Aphrodite walking in to hug him now. They were showing how much they needed him, too.

"You came out of your room?" Robert mused.

"We agreed that it was needed," Apollo smiled.

"Mother is very happy," Aphrodite chuckled.

"Are you two pregnant?" Robert asked his daughters.

"I just gave birth," Aphrodite nodded.

"I did, too. We are egg free for now," Athena smiled.

"Your mom is pregnant, but I think we all deserve to sit down and have a meal over grilled elk, goat and chicken. Usual veggies, too," Robert grinned.

"Our first family dinner!" Athena giggled. "How human!"

"Rarely done, but needed for this occasion. Make sure Hermes and Dana are with us, too," Robert said. "If Agatha is able to join, maybe we can convince Alex to sit with us."

"Mother says he will be there. Just this once," Dionysus smirked. "Back to business after dinner? Or something else planned?"

"Probably back to the usual. Do plan for me stop by a bit more, though," Robert smiled.

"About time," Dionysus muttered. Then he winced at the threat of another knuckle rub, and they all laughed. "I thought Hermes was the asshole!"

"You aren't giving me a chance!" Hermes scowled, as he walked in with Dana. "Now you cut the act so I can step up to the plate!"

"Really?" Dana asked with a roll of her eyes.

"What?" Hermes asked. Robert started laughing. He was finally home.


	20. Chapter 20

It was business as usual after that night, but it was three days later that both Agatha and Dana were settled in the lab for ultrasounds. Ragland was busy extracting a bit of crucial DNA from Dana's baby, and Hermes was comforting her.

"I hate needles!" Dana winced.

"I know," Hermes soothed, as he kept her pleasantly distracted. "After this, I'm sure we'll have a bit more ham. I think we just got in a new shipment of ham steaks."

"We better have!" she growled. Agatha chuckled at her, and Alex was clearly amused.

"Hey," Robert said as he walked over. "A few of my kids want to start going to Japan. As quickly as they can once they get their hands on some passports."

"Who wants to go?" Agatha asked.

"Demeter and Hephaestus want to go, for sure. They were living at my old place for a while, though, but they think a change in scenery would do them good. Hestia and Poseidon will be sticking to the place, though. Keep it lived in, and such. Hades and Hathor want to see what Japan is like, too. Nekhbet and Atum wanted to scope out England," Robert chuckled.

"I'm happy to know that Egypt has quite a number of names for them to pick from," Alex grinned. "I wonder if the breeders would choose names off the old titans next."

"I think they would," Agatha smiled.

"I did think of a couple names for our baby. Depending on the sex," Hermes smiled.

"What did you choose?" Dana asked.

"Cronus if a boy, and Nyx if a girl," he smiled.

"Why the name Cronus?" Alex frowned. "I would prefer Tartarus."

"If you recall, my King, Zeus conquered Cronus," Hermes grinned.

"Asshole," Alex grinned back and nodded. "Fine."

"Then the girl should be named Gaia," Agatha smiled. "I think the titan names should go to the Kings and Queens we make. It would be fitting."

"I wonder if a full King could forcefully impregnate human women," Alex mused.

"Name that one Eros, if he can," Robert smirked. That got them all laughing. Ragland had appeared shortly after to let the test results form. It was time to evaluate Agatha.

"So, you say you were feeling off about this pregnancy? The same way with Hermes?" the doctor asked, and he prepped her belly for the scan.

"In a way. Only it feels more…intense," she frowned. He nodded and they looked at the screen. Alex counted ten eggs, but Ragland spotted the issue.

"Look. These two are completely apart. Why is that?" he thought hard.

"Mother, I think I know," Hermes said with a spark of amusement. "Dana is going to have a baby. Ragland needs a breeder. Think about it."

"Are you serious?!" Alex hissed.

"But it will take time for Dana's baby to grow!" Agatha pointed out.

"I was willing to wait for her to open up to me. I'm quite sure that the same will be done with this one. He, or she, will likely wait patiently," Hermes said calmly.

"Hermes, I have a set of names for you. Cronus, if it's a boy. Rhea, if it's a girl," Agatha smiled. "I think those names will be fitting."

"I…yes, Mother. I accept them," Hermes smiled warmly.

"Rhea…ah, yes. Sister of Cronus and mother of Zeus. A bit of the other way around, but…that will work," Alex nodded, as he gleaned the memories from various college students he had consumed in his island days.

"I'll start up a list to make sure of what names were taken and not taken," Hermes nodded. "It would be easier. I know a few of us are, but just to keep here."

"I'm starting to get hungry," Agatha sighed.

"Same," Dana mumbled. She was starting to get tired, too. Her energy was being sapped by the quickly developing fetus. Hermes scooped her up to cradle her and she scowled. She really hated to be pampered like that.

"Did the tests finish?" Alex asked. At that, Ragland went back into the lab to look over what appeared on the screen. When he came back out, he looked very amused.

"Dana, you are going to give birth to Rhea," the doctor chuckled.

"A girl!" Hermes said with excitement to get the desired blush from Dana to appear.

"So, should a breeder male appear, he will be Cronus. Very well," Agatha smiled.

"Oh, I did have something I wanted to ask while we were all together," Robert said.

"What? Make it quick. The women are hungry," Alex smirked.

"Currency. Foreign currency. Should we start a stockpile?" the Commander asked.

"Hmm. Okay, you brought up something valid," he thought. "Yes. As quickly as we must. Maybe we can have some US dollars converted. Show the kids are there as tourists. They'll have to go through the usual bullshit to become eligible to live there unless they consume a few natives. May end up going that route to save face."

"It would be nice to try various meats from all over the world," Agatha thought. "I do like cheese on occasion. I know there are different varieties everywhere."

"There can be," Alex smiled. "Commander, do you have the ability to forge some fake passports? We can start sending out the kids the moment they get them."

"With the connections that Osiris and Isis have now, they can be ready within the week. I do want to see what the two odd breeders will look like," Robert chuckled.

"Can we eat now?!" Dana growled. She was starving. Hermes pressed a kiss to her forehead and took her to their room. A fresh plate of grilled ham steak was waiting for her.

"He has a shitload of patience," Alex grinned.

"Well, he would know how to handle her now," Agatha giggled. "Now feed me before I go fucking ballistic, too."

"No need for that," Robert winced. Alex smirked and carried her out of the lab. Before Robert left, Ragland approached him.

"I do have a question for you," the doctor said.

"What's on your mind? I'll answer it the best I can," he said.

"Do you know when the connection was made for Dana and Hermes? When he was growing in Agatha?"

"Good question," Robert blinked in thought. Dionysus was quick to walk into the lab to help them out here. He remembered everything quite well, and he wanted to help out his father from his mental confusion.

"Another two hours. Confront Mother then, and you should be able to make the right contact," the breeder male said. "I don't know about the breeder destined for Dana's baby, though. I'm clueless about that one. I can only assume that, if it's male, that he will wait to properly bond with her. I can only guess that it would be a reversal. Him putting his hands on Dana's belly, that is. Or he simply doesn't hatch and goes into a stasis. Or he waits. I honestly wouldn't know. Only time will tell now."

"That it will," Robert sighed. "We should make a safe room for all the cash that Osiris keeps sending our way. Any ideas on where it should go?"

"Hmm," Dionysus thought. "This station is at least a mile around. If that. There are quite a few rooms that haven't been used. We could see about building a few trick floor tiles. The panels do come up easy for quick repairs. If you really want to throw humans for a loop, I say we do the trick floors in the main hallway. They would expect a room. Not right under their feet. What do you think?"

"I like that idea," Robert grinned. Ragland chuckled and went back into the lab to monitor the various culture strains he had growing. Quite a few drones were injected with pure bull steroids and had developed an inhuman form of strength. Testosterone from a full-grown elephant bull was just delivered to him a day before, and he was experimenting with that. He felt like the doctor from the movie that played god with animal DNA and humans. The only thing that made him feel not so bad about it was that he wasn't working with humans. He wasn't killing animals, either. It was just a small form of genetic crossbreeding with injections.

"Hmm," the doctor mused to himself. "I wonder what happens if I can get my hands on some electric eel DNA. They can deliver quite a nasty shock! I'll write down a note to ask for some to be sent down here for me."

The next three hours were spent on writing down what requests he would need for various DNA samples. When he checked the time, he went to approach Agatha.

"There you are!" she winced at a pressure in his direction. "Quick! Touch right here!"

"Hurry. This egg appears to be impatient," Alex sighed. Ragland was swift in moving and pressing his palm on the desired area of her belly. She cringed a bit at how hard the egg was pressing back to make the connection. A sigh of relief was given after it was done.

"About three more hours?" the doctor asked as he backed away.

"About that long," Alex nodded.

"Ah, good! I do have a list of various DNA strains I would like to get ahold of. Ever want to know what would happen if electric eel was given to a drone?" Ragland smiled.

"You have my curiosity peaked," Alex grinned a touch wickedly. "Tell Robert. He can get you the DNA you need now."

"I was also thinking of cheetah for speed, and even lion for more strength. The elephant bull appears to be quite potent. I am wondering about whales now," he chuckled.

"You are enjoying yourself," Agatha laughed softly.

"It's not often I get to let my creativeness expand. Granted, a part of me does feel bad for failed experiments, but I see the rewards on the ones that succeed. I will be in the lab if anything else happens," Ragland said, and he left shortly after.

"Glad I kept his ass around," Alex mused.

"Yes. I'm surprised at how willing he does this," she frowned.

"Well, he and I have a bit of history. I kept him alive and protected. He saves my ass in return. It's a mutual thing," he shrugged.

"Care to tell me about it, Zeus?" she smiled warmly. He returned her smile, settled in the bed next to her and began to talk about his history with the doctor. The rest of the time was spent like this in a form of calmed bliss.


	21. Chapter 21

When the birth started for the new breeders, Ragland had to be present for it. The egg that was birthed for him had everyone in a state of surprise.

"Is that…really an egg I made with you?!" Robert asked with disbelief.

"Apparently so," Agatha mused as she recovered. The breeder female was still curled up in her egg, but the skin tone of this breeder was darker than usual. Almost as though it was a perfect tan from being in the sun. Even her facial structure was different. She appeared to be a top modeling actress with an Oriental look. Not as beautiful as her mother, but she could come close to it. Just as Hermes was constructed to be what Dana desired, this breeder female was exactly what Ragland envisioned his perfect woman to be. The doctor was simply stunned.

"Should we choose a name for her? Or let her pick her own name?" Alex asked.

"She can pick her own…" Ragland said. He was still trying to regain his senses.

"And the male for the Dana's baby looks very under-developed," Agatha frowned.

"Tell me about it," Robert winced. The boy within the egg appeared to be trying to develop, but the growth seemed suspended. He was mainly there, but far more skeletal in features. It was almost as though his features looked undetermined. Dionysus and Apollo were soon in the room with Hermes. They wanted to see their future brother.

"Remember what I said about a stasis being possible?" Dionysus asked. "I think this is what's happening. This egg won't develop until Dana's daughter touches the egg. Her future mate won't grow until he knows what she wants him to be."

"Oh!" Agatha blinked.

"You're right," Hermes nodded. "It makes the most sense. No body hair. No real muscle structure. No true features. He's just in a state of suspension."

"I want him here," Agatha said in a stern tone. "I want to ensure his protection."

"Done," Alex nodded and made a tentacle. This one was special. It held a series of lethal spikes within it that could shoot out like quills in defense. The end of the tentacle even had a spiked barb for close impaling. Only a couple spots were open for eggs, but that could easily change. It was decided to have Ragland's breeder female in this tentacle, too. Special breeders would now stay with Agatha. Robert could only agree with it.

"I suppose," Ragland sighed. "I need to make a bedroom for myself. I don't think my future wife would want to live in a lab."

"You could say that," Dionysus grinned. "I'll help you pick out a room later."

"I need to check on Aphrodite. She's almost ready to give birth," Apollo said casually. Hermes waved him out and looked over at his father.

"What?" Robert asked.

"Do we have anymore ham?" his son asked.

"Why are you asking me?" he frowned. "I wouldn't know."

"Oh. Well, I was always told that you were such an awesome cook on the field of battle…" Hermes started. Then he ducked when Robert moved to smack him.

"What's this?" Agatha grinned.

"No!" Robert scowled.

"What? Burned pork rinds not your best dish?" Hermes smirked.

"Asshole!" his father growled. "Go tend to Dana before I fuck you up!"

"Well, as long as you don't char me up like you did to that bacon…" Hermes started up again and bolted from the room when Robert chased him out.

"Wow! Apparently he has to play up to being the asshole," Dionysus laughed.

"Well, the god you named yourself after was a dirty drunk," Robert smirked.

"I wonder if I can get drunk…" his son grinned. Alex started laughing and he shrugged.

"No alcohol was permitted. You can try to drink cow piss and see if it gives the same result," Alex mused. The look Dionysus gave him was priceless, and Robert started laughing.

"I'll have Osiris send me a batch of the latest wine he manufactured. Thanks," the breeder male grumbled. "Speaking of which, Anubis won a rather interesting cargo in exchange for currency. He'll be sending down a few cases of caviar from wild-caught sturgeon. Our other brothers and sisters settled in various parts of Alaska and will be sending down wild-caught salmon, too. Ares and Artemis did manage to settle in Mexico, and they are sending us some intricate jewelry pieces. They want to help pamper mother."

"Me wear jewelry? I can't even wear earrings!" she frowned. "The holes would close up. I can see maybe a necklace or a bracelet…"

"Think of it as another form of trade," Alex said. "Currency comes in all forms."

"True," Agatha sighed. "Well, I want to walk around. I'm egg free, and I need the exercise. Alex, don't you look at me like that!"

"Ten minutes. Then I fuck you again," he growled. She seemed to glare at him, but she sighed with a nod. Her body had just finished reforming, and she finally got up to stretch. She wanted to visit her daughters. Alex gave a mild glare at Robert to keep him back. This was his turn with her, and the Commander knew it.

"Father, come and help me find the good doctor a room," Dionysus said with a bit of knowing in his tone. "No need to piss off my King or Mother. Right?"

"Right," Robert sighed with a touch of defeat. When they were gone, Agatha gave a mild look at her mate. Alex gave her one back.

"It's my right to be this way. He had his turn already," Alex grumbled.

"I know, Zeus," she sighed. He hugged her tight and kept an arm around her waist.

"Hera, I'm just reminding him of his place. We stopped with the name calling around you. We have tried to make it easier. Haven't we?" he asked.

"You have," she smiled. "And thank you for that."

"You're welcome. Now, where do you want to go?"

"I wanted to visit my daughters, but they informed me that they are rather pregnant right now. They promised to visit with me later. Let's look out one of the windows. I never got to really see outside the place."

"We can do that," he nodded and led her to where a viewing tank was to the outside. There really wasn't much to see at the depth they were at. Some light filtered down from above, but it was rare. However, it was the sight of a couple drones displaying the massive swordfish they caught coming up to the window that made her gasp with amazement. The fish was huge!

"That will feed us for a good month!" she giggled.

"Very nice size, huh?" Alex grinned. "I'm sure a couple swordfish steaks will be given to you. They're hauling it up now."

"I want to watch!" she said.

"Okay," he nodded. He escorted her to the main entrance to see the massive fifteen foot fish being hauled out by several drones. It had to have been at least a good thirteen hundred pounds. She was very impressed. They followed the transported fish to the kitchen where it was expertly sliced up by Kim. A large, thick steak from the tail was now grilled to perfection and served to her. A hint of lemon flavor was used, and Agatha enjoyed it thoroughly.

"Send a steak to Dana," she beamed. It was quickly done, and Hermes reported that it was greatly enjoyed. He would have been concerned about possible mercury content, but Agatha's blood filtered all that out. As a precaution, they agreed to have the steak as a luxury meal when there was no pregnancy.

"The fish are a bitch to catch," Alex thought, as he recalled the information the hive sent him. "However, they will find more. Oh, the breeders on the island want to come back. They think they've done enough. I think it's time for them to come back, too."

"They're Sekhmet and Geb, right?" she thought. "Oh! Yes. I think the island is well fortified now. What about the tentacle nursery?"

"Hmm. I may have to dismantle that," Alex frowned. "That means a trip to the cryo tube. No reports of the island being military bombarded, right?"

"Ah, no. Osiris hasn't heard of anything," she said. "The moment something happens, he vowed to let me know. Don't worry."

"Let's get you pregnant. Then I'll see about getting the nursery taken down on the island," he nodded. "When I come back from the cryo tube, we'll send both tubes down to have the breeders come back at the same time. Come to think of it, we are running short on Hunter meat. We'll get a good stock going again."

"Whatever you say," she smiled, and he kissed her hard. He needed to seed her again. The urge to do it was becoming unbearable. He had it locked in his head that he needed to impregnate her before the Commander had his chance. It got to such a point that he threw her over his shoulder to rush her back into the bedroom. "Zeus! What's wrong?!"

"Can't help it," he grunted. "I can only hold back for so long, Hera…"

"Okay," she nodded. She had to let him do what he needed to do. The last time he waited so long for her nearly killed him. Even when he lay her on the bed and claimed her swiftly, he couldn't stop the loud sigh of relief that escaped him. Only after he started to fully seed her did his mind and thoughts right themselves. At the feel of her hand in his hair under the hooded sweater, he tensed with a form of possession.

"I have…a lot of bad thoughts…about that Commander right now…" he growled.

"Stop talking and keep fucking!" she hissed at him. A rueful grin appeared on his face now, and he kept to that task for the next hour. When he finally separated from her, she clung to him to hug tight. He hugged her back just as tightly, and he felt her sigh.

"What is it, Hera?" he asked gently.

"There's just...a lot going on…" she frowned. "It's a bit hard to keep track of."

"Hmm," he thought and nodded. "I know. We have made quite an army already. But, at the same time, we aren't ready to expose ourselves. We need to have every branch of the world secured first before that can happen. You and I both know this. We still have quite a few areas of the US that can be exploited. But…"

"But?" she grinned.

"It would be rather ballsy to send a breeder pair into the White House," he smirked.

"I don't know if I would want to go that far," she smirked back.

"Why not? They won't go for the presidency. Just part of the staff. Maybe into a bit of the Secret Service. Those guys travel all over the world, and they get ahold of the latest tech."

"They also go through routine check-ups," she frowned. "Seriously, Zeus. It would be too much for me to bear if our breeders had issues with that. And if a female was recruited and couldn't be there for a briefing, she would be investigated."

"Not if they were drones," he grinned. "And that reminds me. Drones are fully sterile. They were never meant to breed. It does suck, but if they need to look like they're in a relationship, it could be pulled off."

"That would be interesting," she agreed. She winced at the slow stretch of her belly, and she sighed a bit. He knew she was getting hungry, and a large deer steak was brought over. "Do you plan to go to the island soon?"

"Yeah. I'll be back in a couple hours, okay? I'll have Robin and Aden watch over you. Sekhmet and Geb will return here after I come back, like I said before. We'll see where they want to go," he smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Sounds good," she nodded. "Be safe."

"I will," he promised and kissed her passionately before leaving the room. He found Robert just entering the meat locker when he closed the door to the bedroom. "She's resting. Don't fuck with her."

"No plans to. I was looking for you," Robert said.

"Really? About what?"

"I'll tell you outside of here before I freeze my balls off and render myself useless."

"Didn't think of that," Alex grinned.

"Fuck head," the Commander growled.

"Dick weed," he replied in kind.

"That was kinda tame," Robert snickered.

"Only because my mind isn't really into it. I need to go back to the island to take down the tentacle nursery. The breeding kids want to come back home, too," he said.

"Ah. That explains it. What are you worried about?"

"Leaving Agatha alone."

"She's protected here."

"It's just the mental thought. I like to personally protect her. Anyways, why did you want to seek me out?" Alex asked, as they walked out into the hallway.

"Geb did tell me that he wanted to come back, but also that he was thinking of heading to Australia," Robert chuckled. "There are plenty of places that he can settle with Sekhmet, and camel meat is a bit of a staple there. We may be able to get ahold of other specialty foods, too. If we can get a few breeder pairs to Africa, they can supply us with Wildebeest and Zebra."

"That would be interesting," Alex mused now. "We'll discuss it when I get back."

"Oh," Robert said to catch his attention again. "If we can get to Switzerland, we can get some gourmet chocolate…"

"That we will work on," Alex grinned. "And you're a bucket of fucktard."

"Finally! The piece of shit has something else to say," Robert grinned back. They flipped each other off, and Alex went to the cryo tube to get back to the island. Robert sighed, chuckled to himself and now went to Dana's room to kick his son's ass to prove who was the better. The asshole had it coming, anyways.


	22. Chapter 22

When Alex reached the island, he paused at the swarm of drones that flooded the place. He was relatively pleased. Geb had the drones working on grabbing every valuable resource of currency from the island to have it ready for transport. Banks were looted, jewelry stores were emptied and quite a few bits and pieces of wealth were found on the littered corpses all over the place. Everything was stored in containers and suitcases for transport. If underwater equipment was used, the drones could transport it easily without the cryo tubes to wait on. The breeder pair had been extremely busy.

The moment the tentacle nursery was removed, Alex was ready to head back. There was only one problem. He noticed that everything they did was being silently observed. He was now on edge and extremely pissed off.

"My King? Is something wrong?" Geb asked. He was a lean, toned breeder male with spiked up blond hair that was cropped short about two inches out. His father's steel grey eyes regarded Alex with confusion. His face was round, but had strikingly sharp angles to show a handsome, noble appearance. Sekhmet had Agatha's ivory hair, but it was unusually straight and ended at the middle of her back. Her figure was lusciously curved, much like her mother's form. Her face was a bit slender than her brother's, with softer tones that were much easier on the eyes. Her father's eyes looked at her mate with concern now. They were both dressed in designer clothes that consisted of pants and shirts that were confiscated from various outlet stores.

"Did you know that we are currently being observed?" Alex frowned. "Something has been tailing us for quite some time."

"Oh. Yes, we knew," Geb sighed. "It's an infected human male. Harmless, really. If anything, he's been the one telling us where to find things with the hopes that we'll help him live. Sekhmet thinks of him as a pet. Much like a stray dog."

"I don't like it," Alex growled. "I want to see this human. Now."

"Oh," Sekhmet said with a slight touch of surprise. When she turned to where the human was hiding, he had already bolted. The drones were now on alert, and he was found within a few minutes. Two lesser drones of Kim and Aden appeared with him in their grasp.

"P-please…!" the man whimpered. "I just…I have nowhere else to go…"

"Hmm…" Alex thought. He glared hard at the man. "I don't fucking trust him."

"My King…" Sekhmet fretted. She really did see him as a pet.

"Humans are known to turn-coat on anything if the opportunity comes up. Your father, as much as I hate his fucking guts, is an honorable man. He's stuck with us long enough to make you and your siblings. He promised your mother that he wouldn't snitch or go against her. He's stuck to his word. As for this guy, I don't recall this sorry fuck in any memories. We can't risk him coming home with us. We can't take the risk that he will try to back-stab us. We aren't ready for exposure. We let one homeless rat in, the rest will follow," Alex snorted.

"I used to be in the military!" the man said with a form of desperation. "They abandoned me here for dead! I got bitten, and I was forced to flee! They would have killed me!"

"What unit?" Alex asked now.

"Sixty-four, blue alpha squad. I had just flown in from Indiana, fresh out of the military school. I'm not even twenty-five! I can't go back to see my family. I'm sure they were given a notice that I was killed in action. All I was told was that I was going to assist with a clean-up sweep. Those massive creatures tore apart my entire squad! I was the best at evasive action and maneuvers. It's why I was picked to come here."

"How did you find out about them?" Alex asked now as he gestured to Geb and his mate.

"I was…in the hospital. I was starving. I was looking for anything that I could to keep going. I found the tentacle place," he cringed. "I saw the eggs. Sekhmet was pregnant. When I tried to run, their kids caught me and brought me back. Geb was going to kill me. I promised that…that if he let me live, that I would help them in return."

"And he has," Geb nodded.

"Has he tried to fuck your sister?" Alex looked at him.

"No, my King. I would have killed him if he tried," Sekhmet nodded sternly. "All he has done was assist in finding new places for resources. There are also new Hunter lairs that he discovered to inform us."

"I see. I still don't trust you," Alex growled. "What is your name?"

"Steve Collins, Sir," the man said now.

"Does your father know about him? Or your mother?" he asked the breeders.

"Mother…doesn't know yet," Sekhmet admitted. "I was afraid that she would tell me to kill him. He has proved his usefulness."

"I still don't like it," Alex muttered. "He should just stay here."

"Please! I want to go with you!" Steve whimpered. "I would do whatever I could to help you! I vow this! I won't ever turn on you!"

"Fuck…" Alex sighed. He thought to his drones on the base and brought up the situation to Agatha and Robert. The Commander was clearly intrigued by this. Agatha wasn't too sure, but she brought up an idea to report to one of the drones for Alex to respond to. "Okay. Your mother says that he can come with us. On a condition."

"Oh," Sekhmet blinked. Agatha was now contacting her daughter with a rather stern thought. "Yes. He can be blindfolded to keep the location secret."

"Drones will be set around every single door. Empty room or not. The only room he will have access to is the one we assign him to stay in," Alex said sternly. "He can work with the animals to keep them cared for as a low-level job. He will be monitored at all times. Your father will want to have words with him first. I'm also sure that Ragland will want to evaluate him for a health check. Also, if you leave the base to travel elsewhere, you can't take him with you. It would be too risky. I'm sure you know this."

"Yes, my King," Geb nodded. Sekhmet winced at the thought of not being able to take her pet with her, but she understood the risk. It simply wasn't safe.

"Steve," Alex said with a heavy glare at him. "You get one chance. Just one. You fuck it up, you're done. Killed on the spot, no chance to explain yourself or your actions. You go somewhere you're not supposed to, you're dead. You try to get in our way, you're dead. You try to expose us, you're dead. One. Fucking. Chance. Don't fuck it up."

"Yes, Sir!" Steve nodded vigorously. "I won't disappoint you, Sir!"

"Fine. Son of a bitch!" Alex seethed to himself. He wanted to kill the human. Shivering with a bit of self-control, he looked over at Sekhmet's gaze of relief. He knew she would defend the man, but only if he was innocent of what he was accused of. She would have a couple of her own drones around him constantly to ensure it. "I have to get back to your mother. She'll be giving birth to more drones within in the next few hours. The cryo tube will be sent back for him. Have him blind folded and ready for transport. I'm sure your father will be talking to him the moment he appears. That reminds me. Give me a sample of his blood. The system may take him as a threat, and the cryo tube needs it, too."

"Yes, my King," Geb nodded. He gestured for Steve to hold out his hand, and the blood was taken up on one the glass slides procured from the hospital. Alex didn't want to taste the man's blood to find out anything. He had a drone do it for him, and the memories were gleaned. So far, the man was honest about everything he said. Alex snorted and turned to leave.

"Give him a bath, decent clothing and proper grooming. If he's coming home with us, he may as well look like someone civilized," Alex ordered. "Let the drones do that."

"Thank you, my King," Sekhmet said softly.

"Thank your mother," Alex muttered. "If she said to kill him, I would have. Instantly."

"I know," she agreed. "But, thank you for giving him a chance."

"Remember. It's just one chance. He better not fuck it up."


	23. Chapter 23

Robert was curious about the former soldier. It was a given. He waited in the receiving area that the cryo tube would appear at. Apollo, Dionysus and Hermes were with him. As much as they trusted their homecoming siblings, they had to show that they meant business when it came to seeing to an outsider. After Alex sent back the cryo tube, he had to go to the control room first to put in the man's DNA to register him. Then the cryo tube was sent back with his DNA. The second cryo tube was sent out shortly after, but the mated pair on the island agreed to wait until the human was secured. Then they would appear in the next run.

"Steve?" Robert asked as the young man was removed from the cryo tube. Hermes sent back the tube to help get his brother and sister. When the ex-soldier looked around after the blind fold was removed, he gaped in recognition at the Commander. "You know who I am?"

"Yeah! You came to my high school for a public speech! It was the same time I was senior. Four years ago in Indiana. I was eighteen," Steve said. He looked much better now that he was cleaned up. His hair was a dark brown with a light shading of blond near the edges. His eyes were a dark green when viewed up close, and his muscular face was high-lighted with a chin cleft. His skin was neatly tanned from conditioned training in the sun. He resembled the usual fit, young recruit. He was about five foot, five inches tall. That was a standard height, too.

Steve studied the other breeders with a bit of shock at how good-looking they were. Dionysus had his princely charm, Hermes looked like he walked out of Manga romance novel and Apollo could have been mistaken for a long-distance runner. But, it was Robert that showed an air of command. Just by looking at him and back to the others, it was clear that the Commander was their father. How could he have had so many kids? Didn't he say that he had no family at his speech before? It was odd to him, to say the least, but he kept quiet. He would get all of his answers in time.

"Interesting," the Commander mused. "And I remember that speech. It was over how drugs were illegal and had no place in the school. Boring as fuck, but I remember it. It was standard procedure for me to go to the usual school to help with possible recruitment."

"Father," Hermes frowned. "You know he's infected. Right? He could turn into one of the crazy fucks on the island at any time."

"I know. Can we tell how far the infection in him has progressed?" he asked.

"The doctor could," Dionysus said. "Where were you bitten, Steve?"

"My arm," he said, and he lifted up the shirt to reveal where a part of the muscle was gone. There was just enough there to help move his arm, and the tendon was still intact, luckily. Of course, he had no strength in it to lift things. "I was rounding a corner with the squad, and a crazy fucker came up and tore into me! I had no clue until it was on me."

"That's…a very nasty bite," Robert winced. "I can even see the bone."

"It doesn't hurt anymore. I kinda lost the sensation of pain a day later. I cauterized it with a blowtorch I found. It hurt like a motherfucker!" he sighed. "I had to do what I could."

"Wow," Hermes whistled. "That's one way to stop the bleeding, for sure."

"What's gonna happen to me?" the man frowned. "I mean…Sekhmet likes me. She wanted to keep me around. If it wasn't for her, I'd be dead. Geb managed to find some medicine for me, too, to keep the infection down. I owe them my life."

"That you do," Robert nodded. "However, on this station, Alex and Agatha rule the roost. You piss them off, you're dead. Like Alex said to you before you got here, you have one chance. He wanted you to start working on the farm we have here. Familiar with it?"

"Sir, I'm from Indiana. I was born and raised on a farm," Steve said with a roll of his eyes. "I'll be fine."

"Father, he should see the doctor. If he really wants to join us, he should get some of Mother's blood. It would cement it," Apollo said. "He can also be cured this way, and maybe even regenerate the lost muscle."

"Very true," Robert thought. He remembered how fast he recovered after three days of no food or water. "What does your mother think?"

"She thinks it may make his resolve stronger to work with us. He'll be heavily monitored, anyways. She doesn't want a possible infection to break out, even though it likely won't have an effect," Dionysus said. At this Robert nodded and gestured for Steve to follow them. When he walked into the lab, Ragland was ready with a shot of Agatha's blood. He took pictures of the bite wound before injecting the blood into him. He wanted to evaluate how fast the tissue grew back. Right before their eyes, the cells started to rebuild and reform.

"Amazing!" Ragland said with disbelief. "Look at how fast the muscle is reforming!"

"I can tell," Robert nodded. The skin seemed to stretch itself in slow motion as it closed over the new muscle tissue without a single scar left behind. Steve was just in shock. He was no longer infected and completely whole again. He didn't even feel any pain when his arm rebuilt itself. With a couple test exercises, it was as though his arm was as normal as his other one.

"What does this mean?" Steve asked in a hushed whisper.

"You could be one of us," Dionysus smiled. "Anyways, lets introduce you to Mother. She just gave birth and wants to see you. Geb and Sekhmet are with her."

"Has it been an hour already?" Robert mused.

"It has. We were completely enthralled in watching a muscle grow back." Hermes grinned. He could have taken a completely dirty twist on it, but the thought was cut off in its tracks when Dana's sharp whimper slammed into his mind. He was away from her for too long. "I'm going to tend to Dana. She really needs me right now."

"That's fine," Robert nodded.

"I will see to finding a suitable room for Steve," Apollo said. "Aphrodite is still developing our eggs. She is fine."

"Good," Robert nodded to him now.

"Are the breeders ready to form yet?" Ragland asked.

"Another hour," Dionysus said. "If that."

"All right. I have a room picked out for myself, and it's close to the lab. I have it quite habitable, but I'm not sure how it's going to work with my future wife," he sighed. "We can only see, right? Anyways, Steve, you need to meet with Agatha."

"Okay," the young man nodded. Robert began to escort him with Dionysus, and Alex walked over to them with a touch of amusement.

"Hello, shit for brains," Robert muttered.

"Fuck you, too, fuck head Fred," Alex smirked. Dionysus bit back a laugh, and Steve bit the inside of his cheek. Alex gave a mild glare at the young man, snorted and turned to lead him through the meat locker. Steve blinked at the different types of frozen corpses that hung on the wall. He even paused in shock at the sight of an infected human carcass.

"She hasn't really eaten them. Yet," Robert smiled. "Keep moving."

"Right…" Steve swallowed. Agatha was able to stand and stretch in a toga to reveal herself properly. She turned to face him, and he was stunned at her beauty.

"Hello, Steve. I'm glad that my blood cured you. I am Agatha, also known as Project Hera. I was created over three years ago to be the bane to Alex. He's known to you as the Blacklight project, Project Zeus," she said softly. "All of the people here, save Dana, Doctor Ragland, Alex and Robert are my children. I have agreed to take you in, as my daughter, Sekhmet, has taken a liking to you. Don't undermine our trust. Don't take our word for granted. You have one chance to prove yourself at all times. Remember that."

"Yes, Ma'am," Steve nodded quickly.

"We may never fully trust you," she warned. "It's possible that we may be more neutral towards you. You simply need to earn your place with us. For now, do as we ask. Do what we say. Granted, you have been given some of my blood, but you need to keep focus, too."

"I understand," he agreed. "I won't let you down."

"I hope not," she nodded to him. "Sekhmet, if something happens and he's at fault, you will be held responsible. You wanted him here. You will answer for him."

"I understand, Mother," her daughter said with a sharp nod. They hugged with soft sighs escaping them and giggled as mother and daughter would.

"Geb, did you find a room?" Robert asked.

"Not yet, Father," he said. "I'll look now."

"Do you plan to stay or go to Australia?" Alex asked.

"I think that, if I can't take Steve with me, I would stay here," Sekhmet admitted. "If I am gone, and he does something wrong, I would not be able to properly find out what happened. Yes, my drones will be here, but I want to tend to him personally."

"Much like a dog shitting on the carpet. You would want to be the one to rub his nose in it instead of me. Only thing is that I wouldn't just rub his nose in it. I'd smack him around with a rolled up newspaper, too," Alex grinned. Steve sighed to himself. He hated being thought of as an animal, but he was dealing with something that saved his life. He had no way to fight back. He caught the Commander's eye and felt some form of odd relief. Something now told him that this was how Alex was to everyone else.

"Shut the fuck up, dear," Agatha growled in warning. "You will take all of your concerns to Sekhmet first. The human is her responsibility now. Not yours."

"Right," Alex said, and he slightly caved in.

"As it is, it's Robert's turn to fuck me. The new breeders will be hatching soon. Go check on them as my stud male fucks me," she said with a tart edge in her tone. Alex growled, but he paused in silent acceptance when she hugged him tight. "I'll let you be with me the moment he's done. Okay? I did miss you."

"I missed you, too," he nodded back and hugged her. "Okay. Robert, hurry the fuck up. Steve, you come with me. You both come with me, too."

"Yes, my King," Geb nodded. Sekhmet gave a small smile at Steve to show he wasn't at fault for anything. She would be protecting him. As much as she wanted him to stay in her room, she knew he would want a form of privacy. She would ensure that his room was near hers. A drone would be stationed at his door to escort him wherever he had to go.

"I'll go check on Athena," Dionysus said wisely.

"You do that," Alex nodded. "Steve, I understand you're good at shoveling cow shit. That will be your main job for now. Come on."

"Yes, Sir," Steve nodded. Geb chuckled softly, and the young man knew that he would find his place with them. He had nowhere else to go, and he would make due.


	24. Chapter 24

When the new breeders were ready to hatch, Agatha was pregnant with the next breeder set. Steve had settled in rather nicely in the livestock section. He already knew what he had to do, as he was true to his word on living on a farm before. Ragland was waiting in the room, and he was rather speechless at the tall, exotic beauty his chosen mate had become.

"Hello, Brad," she blushed softly. She had dressed in a two-piece shorts and shirt outfit. She wasn't very curvaceous, but the doctor never really needed anyone like that. He wanted someone that could share his intellect. She could do that easily.

"Ah…hello…" he said with a slight blush. "Have you…um…chosen a name?"

"Yes. Since I appear to be almost Japanese in looks, I have chosen to go with the goddess name of Hariti. I hope you approve," she smiled warmly.

"I really like that. It fits you," he smiled. "Ah…"

"Ragland, take her back to your room and fuck her," Alex smirked. That got him rewarded with a glare, and Alex grinned back widely. Hariti gave him a bit of a startled blush, but she found herself grinning, too.

"My King, maybe it would be best for him to get to know me first?" she chuckled.

"Up to you," Alex shrugged. She had her black hair pinned up now to expose her graceful neck, and her steel-grey eyes seemed to compliment her figure. The eyes would never change for them. She was already making plans to see what Japanese style clothing she could make for herself. She hoped that a few of her brothers and sisters would settle in Japan to help her get some authentic ideas. The memories from John's old assistant did help, but only by so much. She was going to be experimenting with different hairstyles to compliment her features even further. She knew what her mate liked to see.

"So, you were into the Oriental chicks?" Robert chuckled.

"An old college sweetheart had me hooked until she had to leave for Japan. She was only at the college for one of those exchange programs. It was the best time I ever had. We were still good friends, but she got married," Ragland shrugged. "We lost touch after that. Oh…if you do see her, can you, well, spare her and her family?"

"We can arrange that," Alex nodded. "Just let us know what she looks like."

"I can help with that now," Hariti nodded. "Like Hermes and Dana, I can read Brad's mind easily. That's not a problem."

"But, I can't read yours," the doctor frowned. Then he gaped and said, "Okay. Scratch that. I can. Amazing!"

"Please don't run too many tests on me?" she frowned. At that, he gave her a warm smile, and she knew he likely wouldn't run any tests on her unless she gave the okay. That had her relieved. As she much as she wanted to know more about herself, sometimes it helped to let things remain a mystery, too.

"How is Dana developing?" Agatha asked. "It has been five days now. Hasn't it?"

"Almost. Did you want to see her before your belly grew more?" Alex asked.

"I would," she nodded. Robert was quick to get the door for her now. When she was pregnant with his children, Alex and Robert had to remain neutral around her. It was simply something they had to do at all times. As they walked down the hallway, they saw Steve walking over to them. It was clear that he completed his small task of shoveling cow shit.

"Done?" Alex grinned. "Work on the goats next."

"Already done," the young man said. "I tended the garden and harvested any fresh crop. I even planted new seeds. The stables are cleaned out and layered with fresh straw."

"Can you cook?" Robert asked.

"Some. Just enough," he nodded.

"If you don't burn anything, I'll have Kim teach you how to cook," Alex nodded. "Follow Aden. He'll take you to the kitchen."

"Okay," Steve nodded and followed the drone.

"You know," Agatha mused. "If he gets a breeder female, and she makes Queens, he would be forced to become a rather strong ally."

"True. Let's see what happens with Ragland's new girl first," Robert nodded.

"I did think about something," Agatha sighed. "If Queens and Kings are rarer than breeders, they may be only having one child per pregnancy. Instead of an egg, they would develop as an actual baby. Like I did. I would likely create the breeder males or females for them. I know that the one for Dana's baby is still in a stasis."

"Hmm," Alex blinked at her insight. "That…actually does make sense. Drones are the meat of the army and the easiest to find. Breeders would be next, as they could help make the drones, but no other viable breeders. Actual Kings and Queens that could make the breeders and drones would have to be _exceptionally_ rare. Much rarer than breeders."

"So, Dana would become a breeding machine, but to one kid at a time," Robert thought.

"She's gonna be pissed, but, if you think about it," Alex smirked. "It took some time for her to become pregnant. She didn't get pregnant right away. It took a few days."

"Thus, the Kings and Queens are harder to find. They can't be made in bulk," Agatha nodded. "I honestly think that the sperm Ragland made for you didn't work. I think that my body instinctively gives out the specialized breeders when needed."

"Hmm. We'll see. When Ragland's female becomes pregnant, we'll with-hold making sperm for me. We can test your theory that way," Alex nodded. She nodded with him, and they approached the room that Dana and her mate were in.

"Mother!" Hermes grinned, as he answered the door. Letting her in, he nodded to Alex and Robert. "Dana! Mother is here with Father and my King."

"Nice," Dana muttered. She was clearly irritable. Her belly had started to swell with the quickening pregnancy. "Are you sure I'm only having one kid?"

"Yes," Alex said.

"Hermes told me what you all just talked about out there. At least I'll get a bit of a break. I guess," she frowned. "I really…don't want to be a breeding machine…"

"You won't be," Agatha smiled warmly. "Leave that little bit to me and the others. Luckily for you, you may be getting more breaks than me."

"If I can get a few days to myself, I'll be happy," she nodded. "What's going on with that new guy? Is he gonna snitch?"

"No. The army thinks he's dead. Osiris checked the files, and Steve was pulled up MIA. His status is now switched to Deceased. His family was already compensated. As much as he misses them, he knows he can't go back to them. He does have quite a few sisters, though," Alex mused. "But, we can't expose ourselves."

"I don't think he would want us to bring the rest of his family into this. He understands his boundaries. I don't think his family would," Agatha said bluntly. "He's showing us that he's loyal, but who knows what his family would convince him to do to encourage him if they were here. I don't need that."

"Right, right," Robert nodded.

"Maybe we should ask him?" Hermes asked now.

"I wanted to kill him when I saw him," Alex growled. "Sekhmet wouldn't let me. None of you would let me. No more fucking humans on this station."

"But, if they are bound to a breeder…" Hermes hinted.

"Still too risky," Alex said.

"How would the new Queens be able to create viable breeders, then? We would have to find stud males for them, wouldn't we?" Agatha frowned.

"There's plenty of guys out there that would do it," Dana shrugged. "The only problem is that they want to brag."

"I won't have just any male be with the other Queens," Agatha grumbled. "Robert is a prized stud to me. Peak of his prime. Best of the best. His sessions with me have produced extremely intelligent breeders. He knows his way in the world, and that knowledge is greatly needed for them, too. That is what I'm looking for in a stud male. I don't want someone that would lounge around and expect things to happen. I want men that have proved themselves."

"Why do I feel like I'm a piece of meat being inspected?" Robert winced.

"You could think of yourself as a purebred dog that's well-trained," Alex grinned.

"Fuck you and your mother, too!" Robert snapped.

"I don't have a mother. Actually, in the viral sense, I did, but I killed her. Your loss," he grinned again. "You can say hi and go fuck yourself."

"Boys…" Agatha warned.

"He started it…" Robert frowned.

"And I'm finishing it," she said with a mild glare.

"Well, if you want viable stud males, I have an idea," Hermes grinned wickedly.

"Oh? I'll hear it," Alex nodded.

"We can have Osiris start up a military program," the breeder male said. "A short bit of questions and answers followed up with a physical training regime. The ones that score the highest will become the breeder studs. However, only those with practically no family present will be viable. Those are the ones with nothing to lose. They have no one else. Granted, Steve has a massive family, but they all think he's dead."

"I think I know what the training ground would be…" Alex said with a nasty grin.

"Alex…you scare me," Dana cringed, and Hermes chuckled as he put an arm around her.

"What's your idea?" Robert asked. Agatha was now paying careful attention.

"The island is the training ground. The few left standing will have no willpower left. We save their lives, like we did with Steve. They will feel that they 'owe' us again. However, we will need to get another breeder pair to live in the island. They can set up their own nursery to take down without me. If they want to come back here, we can swap them out in monthly shifts. The one or two men left in the squad will be 'found' by the breeders. They will gain the trust of these men, much like Steve being the stray dog," Alex said slowly to make sure they all understood where he was going. Robert found himself completely amused.

"But, how do we know that they won't turn-coat?" Agatha frowned.

"They will live on the island for a couple weeks with the breeders. They will help them attack other military exercise units," Alex said. "If they can attack their own, then we will know. If they can't, we dispose of them. That is how we will know. I will also interrogate them like I did with Steve. He showed desperation to me. A want to live. That is how I know they won't turn-coat. The moment I sense hesitation, I'll kill the human off. Hesitation is weakness to me."

"Very interesting," Robert mused. "As much as my old military side would say you're a fucking quack and a psychopathic ass fuck of a man, I want to see how it would go. And with Osiris having the ability to set up this 'special operation' with John's connections…"

"Let's try one round," Agatha nodded. "As it is, I'm starving! Dana, would you like to join me for lunch? We'll have swordfish steaks with a side of ham and elk."

"Love to!" Dana grinned.

"And I'll have Alex cook for us personally," she beamed.

"Seriously?!" Alex asked with disbelief.

"I know you can have the drones cook, but I always loved your cooking," Agatha smiled warmly at her mate. He gave in with a sigh and a small nod.

"As long as Robert cooks with me so that I can teach him what to do if something goes wrong," he smirked. Hermes started laughing, and Robert gaped at him with shock. On glaring at Hermes, he got the perfect payback idea.

"Fine. But Hermes cooks with us," Robert nodded. Now it was Hermes's turn to stare at his father with disbelief, and they all died laughing.


	25. Chapter 25

Nothing took place until a day later. The connections Osiris had were extensive and, because John's reputation preceded him, his orders were not questioned. They were actually embraced with the idea that the world's top soldiers would have their teeth cut on the island. As much as other military officials were questioning the reasons, Osiris was able to stress how much more valuable that soldier would be if they survived a single week on the island. Even two weeks, if needed. Promotions were offered, as well as compensations for any losses. They agreed to send out one test group compromising of their best men. They couldn't risk S.W.A.T going in, but only the finest that each military school had to currently offer.

It was five in the morning EST when the group of ten soldiers were called into the small room. All of them were the best of the best in their military training. They passed the questionnaires with flying colors, and all of them were practically orphans with no families to speak of. A drone with a genetic copy of Commander John walked into the room to evaluate them silently. Another drone with a genetic copy of his assistant was right next to him. It was important to let them consume clones that were constructed. The breeders with the original forms couldn't be under any form of threat. The drone with the Commander's body was one of Alex's drones. The drone with the assistant was from Agatha's side.

"I understand," the Commander drone said calmly. "That the ten of you were recommended by your Drill Sergeants and their peers. I also understand that all of you have nothing to lose, but everything to gain. I'm going to ask all of you one question. Answer honestly. If you had the choice to kill your fellow man in order to survive, would you do it?"

Only three of the ten men nodded. The other seven were caught by surprise at the question. The assistant drone pulled up the files that were carried in a small briefcase that had the identities of the three men. They would be studied while on the island.

"Sir, I mean no disrespect," a blond-haired, brown-eyed soldier said. "But…why would you ask us such a question?"

"A good question. Soldier, do you know where your training is going to take place?" the Commander drone asked now. When they all shook their heads, a map was now lit up on the back wall. At the point of the quarantined Blacklight Virus island, many of them started to shake with a form of intense fear. "You all have a right to be afraid and nervous. However. If you can survive for at least two weeks on that island, you will truly be the best of the best. Also, I asked the question because if one of you becomes infected, you may have no choice when it comes to killing each other. When they say 'survival of the fittest' they really mean it."

There was only one man in the room that caught the assistant's eye. The Commander drone tapped into the hive link to glance at the man casually. He appeared to be of Hispanic descent with the typical military style haircut. His hair was a dark, rich brown at one point. His eyes were the same color. He didn't appear very buff, but he did appear to be extremely dexterous. He also looked like a fighter. As though he would do whatever it took to live.

The Commander drone could already tell that several men were going to see about opting out. The only problem was that they signed a contract. If they opted out, they would be discharged from the military with no honors. Their names would be tarnished. Several drones would be ready to kill them off the moment they tried to flee somewhere. The hive collective would not tolerate anyone knowing of what was going on.

"Sir," the assistant drone said. "The plane leaving for the island will be ready in twenty minutes. I was just informed."

"Good," the Commander drone nodded. The IPhone the assistant drone used was just for show. It wasn't even connected to any form of internet or even activated. There was no need for it. Practically the entire air force, save a few of the more notable soldiers and engineers, were already taken over as drones. The only soldiers spared were the ones that had families. All the Commander drone had to do was call a small group into the main office, have other drones ready in ambush and they had their new recruits. It was easier than anyone knew. "You are all dismissed to get ready for transport. However, the three that agreed to my question earlier. Please remain. As for the rest of you, I expect to see all of you at the landing pad at the designated time. You may go."

After the seven men left, the Commander drone looked at the three men that remained. A dark-skinned soldier with a rather buff physique, the Hispanic soldier and a rather buff white soldier were left. The drone studied the first soldier with a bit of scrutiny. He was much like Ragland with black hair and eyes, and he was exceptionally tall. Almost six foot, from what the drone could judge. The white soldier was judged next, and he had red hair with dark green eyes. A bit of freckles coated over his skin, but he looked like he could easily hold his own. However, it was the Hispanic that the drone was betting on that would be the sole survivor. The hive would be testing this one to his limits.

"Would you like me to do anything, Sir?" the assistant drone asked.

"Take notes," the Commander drone said gruffly. "First thing's first. Your names, soldiers? Starting with you on the left."

"I'm Karl Higgins, Sir," the white soldier nodded.

"Carlos Sanchez, Sir," the Hispanic soldier said.

"Jeremiah Bartley, Sir," the dark-skinned soldier said with a stern ring.

"Good. You all know me as Commander John Murlow. The three of you were asked to stay because you all agreed to possibly killing your fellow man. Tell me. Do you know what to expect on this island? Do any of you have an idea?"

"Any that go there end up dead," Jeremiah said. "It's just like you said, Sir. If we come back, it shows that we have what it takes."

"Survival of the fittest has to be the main rule," Carlos said. "I've lived on the streets my whole life. I know what I have to do to survive."

"No pain no gain," Karl shrugged. "What more is there to say? I have nothing to go back to. If I die, it's for my country, anyways."

"Ah. But…what would you do if you were forced to ally with the enemy to survive? To turn-coat against your country?" the Commander drone now asked.

"Kill me first," Jeremiah snorted.

"Same," Carlos nodded.

"I may be on my own, but I'm not stupid!" Karl growled.

"Good. Remember what you just answered today. I'm only saying this now because there is a chance…a good chance…that you may change your mind. And if you do, there is no turning back," the Commander drone warned. It had to make it sound like it was serious. As much as it wanted them into the fold, it had to play the rules of being against the idea. "The Blacklight Virus, Project Zeus, is currently at large. We don't know where it is. We don't know what it plans. The last group we sent there was eradicated. We lost all contact. The last known contact we had was at the major hospital on the upper east side. So, since you all are on such good standing with the situation, I am giving you three a personal mission. From me. Go to the hospital. Find out what happened. Get out alive. If you perish, you will be remembered. If you survive, I'll make you three a part of my personal team."

"Yes, Sir!" the three men said at once. They all wanted the chance to prove themselves now. Either they live or die trying.

"Dismissed," the Commander drone nodded. "Join the others on the landing pad."

Right after they left, the drone soldiers watched them carefully. Several scouts were camouflaged and standing in the rooms the chosen soldiers were staying in. They were there to act as the eyes of the hive, like they were bred to be. Alex was perplexed, though. He wanted one of the soldiers to antagonize the other soldiers into their change of heart. One soldier of each group would need to be taken over. He now knew the perfect one to do the job. The blond-haired soldier that questioned the Commander drone in the conference room was now a newly recruited drone. It was easy to do when he was caught taking a shit. Humans were easy to grab when they were distracted with every day functions.


	26. Chapter 26

When everything was underway, and the group of nine soldiers with the new drone was in the air, island preparations were being done. Hunters were being lured into areas that would be easy to help in an ambush. The same was done with any infected human packs. They were going to turn the area surrounding where the plane was set to drop off the group into a warzone.

A new breeder couple was now in the hospital with a tentacle nursery in place. Agatha did want her children to have access to other meats, so the hospital freezer was stocked with frozen fish, beef and chicken. Hunter meat was also freely available, but she knew her kids liked the variety. She was the same way.

"They settled in?" Alex asked, as he rubbed Agatha's growing belly. She was now pregnant with their drones. She nodded and snuggled into him with contentment.

"They have been settled. Zeus, how long has it been since we've been together?" she asked. "It's only been about two months. Right?"

"About that long," he agreed. "Why do you ask, Hera?"

"Just…amazed at how much has progressed. But…I do think it would be funny," she giggled. "If, on the three month mark, we start to expose ourselves."

"No," Alex said with a sharp shake of his head. "We can't. We still need to get our offspring overseas. Once they start to settle out there and have a foothold would be the time to do just that. There are a lot of areas we need to take control of. Quite a bit can be accessed all across Europe, you know. Even in the Asian continents. There is a lot of unclaimed territory. Japan is one major area that we do need to get to. Ah…speaking of Japan…interesting…"

"So, Lynette's brother did call on her. He plans to visit next week? That's rather soon, isn't it?" Agatha frowned. "Who wanted to go to Japan?"

"Demeter and Hephaestus did. They will likely be waiting for that guy to make an appearance. Did they settle in with Osiris and Isis?"

"They did. They already have drones infiltrating in different cities near them, too. I didn't know how big Massachusetts was! Oh, there should be a shipment of funds and more meat products heading to Robert's home soon. The drones are starting to take over the Postal Service in various areas."

"I know it," Alex nodded. "We can get stuff shipped to us freely the more we advance through the ranks of human society. It's incredibly easy. No challenge at all. It's kinda pathetic. But, if it helps us get our goals faster, then fuck it. I'll take it."

"Same," she nodded. Her belly swelled slowly, and he rubbed a hand over it. "What will you do if any of those soldiers reach the hospital?"

"I'll have Hermanubis and Sigyn start to send out their scouting parties. They actually found quite a few stray animals. Not humans, but true animals. Sigyn has decided that she likes cats. They would work well for her, considering that they are a part of Egyptian cultures."

"I do wonder if animals could become something we could use," Agatha mused.

"Hmm. It's possible. I do remember that, when I stopped a bomb from exploding the island, I was able to reform from a bird. I can't really change into it, but they could be used as an emergency form of direct DNA reconstruction. I don't want any mangy mutts or strays on the station, though. We already have Steve and Robert. Ouch!" he winced at the poke to his gut she gave him. "Okay, fine. Robert is a purebred mutt."

"Stop it!" she growled. "Granted, I refer to him as my stud male, but he's still _my_ stud male! Hmm. I wonder if Steve could become a stud male. Not for me, obviously. But, maybe for one of the new Queens. We know he's loyal. He has a good build on him, too."

"Hmm…" Alex mused. "He is behaving. Okay. Robert is going to talk to him now."

"Good. Now give me something to eat," she grinned. He kissed her, muttered in her ear to make her blush hard and left to get her a large slice of Hunter steak. In the agricultural part, Robert was moving over to where Steve had made his quarters. He chose to live in the room right next to where the easiest place would be to tend to the animals. At the knock on the door, Robert was nodded to and let in.

"I have something I want to discuss with you. If you have the time," Robert smiled.

"Plenty now. What's up, Sir?" the young man asked.

"Nah, no more formalities. We aren't a part of the army anymore. Just call me Robert, okay? Alex can just…yeah. He can fuck off. Anyways," Robert chuckled. "I came here to ask if you would be interested in possibly helping create a new family line."

"What?!" Steve blinked with a touch of surprise.

"Agatha can't create the breeders needed unless I help her. The breeders can only create drones. However, a possible Queen, another like Agatha, in this sense, may be born in a few days. In eighteen days, she will be grown up and able to make drones and breeders of her own. I'm not going to help with that. So, if you want to help that future Queen make breeders and her eventual mate makes the drones…"

"Wait…wait…" Steve said, and he shook his head. "I don't get it."

"I'll try to explain it to you," Robert nodded. For thirty minutes, he slowly went over everything. Steve was surprised that he was being offered such a formal spot in their army.

"It's a lot to think about," he admitted.

"It is. It's either that, or you could become betrothed to a female of your own with no chance to share her. Much like how Ragland is with Hariti, and how Dana is with Hermes. You will have the ability to help create new Queens and Kings. But, if you choose to be a stud like me, you will be given the ability to make a vast family of your own. It would happen with a female offered to you, but it would be much faster as a stud. Yes, granted, at first I was against it, too. But, after learning of how the military government was ready to kick me out, I don't care. I love my kids. All of them. All of the kids from me are less than two months old, too."

"What?!" Steve gaped.

"Yes. They grow fast. And they learn from what you know. They have the ability to talk telepathically. Your wife would be able to talk to them. You can also mentally talk to your wife, too. Not sure about the kids, though. We'll have to see. It's up to you."

"But…this is how I would fully earn my keep, huh?" Steve frowned. "Would I be on a more even level with everyone?"

"Definitely! If you help contribute to the growing army, we will definitely see you as an ally. Your future wife would protect you, as well as Sekhmet. Granted, Alex will always see us as his lesser peers, but he's like the asshole brother you never want to be around. Or to have. He's just someone that…no matter what you want, he's not leaving."

"Okay. Nosy neighbor or relative. Got it," Steve nodded, and Robert started to laugh at that. "I can deal with that. I already gave my promise that I wouldn't go against you guys. You all saved my life. I owe everyone here. And if I get the chance to have a girl of my own…I gotta take it. What do I have to do?"

"Well, do you want to be a stud breeder or someone to help create Queens and Kings?" Robert asked. "If you become a stud, you share the girl with her destined mate. Alex and I take turns with Agatha. He makes drones and, the moment she's cleared of those eggs, I help make the breeders. We formed a truce that way."

"I never really liked to be part of a triangle," Steve admitted. "I'd like to see if I can get a girl to myself. I think that would be best for me."

"We'll see what happens. As for right now, you may be considered as a stud. Like me. But, things can change. I'll let Alex know of your decision. Just keep doing what you're doing," Robert nodded. They shook hands, and the older man left the room to leave the younger one in his own thoughts. Hermes came over to approach his father with a perplexed look.

"Father, I don't want him to be a stud for my daughter," Hermes said. "I don't think he should be one to create Queens and Kings, either. He should be a stud, but not to my kid. He's not good enough for me."

"I beg your pardon?" Robert asked now with a raised brow. "What does your mother think? It will be her choice in the end, you know."

"I already talked with Mother," Hermes said. "She agrees with me. Maybe one of Ragland's daughters will take Steve up. I don't want him to touch any of my daughters. I haven't seen him fight. He can survive, but I don't know how he can hold himself in a real fight. I've been inspecting the soldiers that will be tested on the island with the help of the drones. One of them may work for me. Not Steve."

"Why not?" Steve asked, as he walked over now. He heard them talking just outside his room, and now he had to defend himself. "I made top marks in my last training session! I was picked to be a part of that fucking squad before I almost got my ass handed to me! They told us _nothing_ of what to expect! I was only told to look sharp and keep my weapon loaded and ready! I had no idea what was going on until I was the only one left standing."

"Steve," Hermes sighed. "There is another reason I don't want you around my daughters. They will all be Queens. You don't want to be a stud, anyways. Right? You want to help create more Queens. Not breeders or drones."

"Oh…" Steve frowned in thought.

"I'm not doubting your military prowess at all. I know you can survive. That's not the issue. Every daughter I make, Mother will be making a King for. That's how it seems to be working. I don't think that Ragland can make Kings or Queens for my sons or daughters, either. They would have to come from Mother. She is an Empress. Above the Queens," Hermes explained. Now Robert looked at him with complete amusement.

"An Empress. That makes a lot more sense! And Alex would be an Emperor, then. But he can't make the Kings. Would that make me the Emperor?" Robert mused now.

"Fuck you! I am King and Emperor!" Alex seethed as he rushed at him. One of his drones caught the whole conversation for him. "You are a fucking stud! That's it! It's all you'll ever be! Don't even _think_ for a fucking second that you're any more than that!"

"My King! Please stop!" Hermes said, as he quickly stepped in front of his father. Alex growled, and he came to a dead stop in front of the breeder male. "Father is considered the main stud to Mother. That's all. There is no need to hurt him."

"My King…" Athena whispered from where she was with Dionysus. She was heavily pregnant, but she had to be there to help with her brothers. "Mother cares about all of us. If not for us, then think of her. Father will never be up to you in standards, my King. But…he's still my Father. Our Father. He is the main root of our existence."

"Without him, we wouldn't be able to help you, my King," Apollo said when he walked over. Aphrodite looked very worried as he supported her. Alex seemed to grimace. Then he groaned when he heard Agatha's angry muttering getting closer.

"Robert! Alex! Front and center!" she growled out. "NOW!"

"Say nothing," Hermes muttered to Steve. The young man nodded slightly.

"Agatha…" Alex sighed.

"No. You promised me you wouldn't do this, and I don't care if the promise was made to only be around me. I care about Robert. I love you, Alex. I told you this before. And if it wasn't for Robert, we wouldn't be where we are today!" she frowned. "Apologize to him. Now. And I want you to mean it."

"Can I still tell him to fuck off?" Alex muttered.

"That's fine. Just don't go trying to kill him," Agatha said sternly. "And, Robert, you apologize to him, too. Granted, he tricked you into being here, but if it wasn't for me, he would have killed you. So I want the two of you to apologize to each other and shake hands."

"Fucker," Robert mumbled.

"Son of a flying fuck," Alex mumbled back. "Sorry."

"Sorry," Robert nodded. They shook hands to appease her and the breeders around them.

"Now, both of you come back to the bedroom with me. We all need to have a talk," she sighed. Robert looked at her with surprise.

"The handshake wasn't enough?" Alex asked.

"That was to help calm me down and make the kids happy. Bedroom. You two with me. Let's go," she said again. Her belly was swelling even more from the drones. Now Alex realized why she wanted them to head into the bedroom with her. He was quick to scoop her off her feet and carry her away.

"Better not keep her waiting, Father," Hermes sighed.

"Right," he nodded. The other two breeder couples gave him their tight hugs of relief before retiring to their chambers. "Steve, what you just witnessed was Agatha getting mad. Don't get her livid. Ever. Go back to your chores. We'll talk about you a bit more later."

"Okay. Good luck," Steve smiled.

"Thanks," Robert sighed. Hermes gave his father a hug and went back to Dana. Geb and Sekhmet would have been there, but they were tending to a new delivery of drones. Robert easily felt their relief, and stopped by their room to hug each of them. After that, it was to help Alex keep Agatha calm until the drones were birthed. They had to work together neutrally to show that there was no more malice between. Their truce was fully called back into effect. They planned to make it far more permanent.


	27. Chapter 27

When the group of soldiers was dropped off by parachute to the island, it was the drone that sent the signal to show where they were. Traps were set and Hunters were left in a confused daze when their supposed prey of drones went missing. When the infected humans encountered the Hunters, it was survival of the fittest. Of course, the Hunters won. Any infected humans left standing went into hiding. The drones didn't care.

"Where are we?" Jeremiah asked.

"Not sure," one of the recruits with him frowned. He narrowed his light green eyes and brought out a digital map from the portable satellite laptop he carried. "Ah! We're here. Where should we set up base?"

"We got landed on the south side?" Carlos frowned. "If we can make our way north-east, I think there's an abandoned hospital there. I studied the map on the wall."

"Think we can make it?" Karl asked.

"If we go stealth, it's possible," Carlos nodded. "Look…"

He was able to arrange the map into a 3D view of the city. He found a distinct path on the main street with plenty of alleyways to cut through. With the road planned out, it was set. The drone with them seemed to nod. The information was sent to the hive. New traps were now being set up. It was time to move.

As the six men started to move off, the drone grabbed the attention of the three that were spoken to in private with a small cough. Carlos looked at the drone with a frown.

"Dude, what's up?" Karl asked.

"I don't think we should follow them," the drone said with a small frown. "I think they'll kill us. Yeah, I asked Commander Murlow why he would want us to kill our countrymen. But…if it's to survive here…"

"We should all stick together as a group," Jeremiah said. "We can't be suspicious, and it would be a better chance for survival."

"We can't go with them," the drone sighed. "Carlos, the map you pulled up was good, but it's not plausible. While we were still on the base, I overheard a nasty rumor. I saw some files, too, to confirm it. I didn't know whether or not to bring it up, but because you guys were talked to by the Commander, and I was told to leave, I figured it was important. Secret mission, right? Because he likes you guys? Well, to be fair, I gotta at least let you guys know. If you let me in on what you have to do, I'll tell you what I know. Is that cool?"

"Hmm," Karl frowned.

"Well, if you know something…" Jeremiah grimaced.

"Fine. We need to get to the hospital to find out what happened with the last group. Now, what do you know?" Carlos asked.

"Hunters and infected humans are no longer our only worry," the drone said.

"What?" Carlos asked with disbelief.

"There is something else here," the drone growled. "Something…stronger. I think. Smarter, too. I kinda think that we're being watched. And it's not the Blacklight Virus."

"Fuck!" Jeremiah hissed. "We gotta get the other guys! We have to warn them!"

"I think they're already dead," the drone said softly. Now the three soldiers looked at the drone with shock. The four of them moved off to follow where the others went, and they stopped dead in their tracks. The Hunters easily made short work of them. The drone shoved the three soldiers back against the wall.

"How…do you know this…?!" Carlos asked now.

"Like I said," the drone hissed. "I saw confidential files. It was how I passed the exams, too. I knew all the answers. It's how I got to where I am today. The hospital is well-fortified. I know the best way to go. If you all stick with me, I can get us there."

"You did keep us from getting killed…" Karl winced when he heard a bone getting crunched. He actually felt sick.

"Keep it together, man!" Jeremiah growled. "We never got your name."

"It's Mark, for what it's worth," the drone shrugged. It scratched at the blond hair and gestured for the humans to follow. Thanks to the hive mind, the other drones stayed out of sight and kept the three chosen humans from being attacked. Progress was slow to the hospital, though, since the drone had to force them to 'play safe' to keep to the act. It took two hours of scoping, sneaking across sections of buildings and calling clear before the hospital came into sight. Now the drone moved behind them to provide a form of back-up as the three men went into the double doors. The elevators were broken in, so the stairs had to be used.

"This place gives me the creeps…" Karl whispered. Lights were flickering off and on from weak light bulbs. They tried to step quietly, but their softest steps echoed along the empty stairway of metal and concrete. Even their breath was too loud despite their attempts to control it. They honestly didn't know what they were looking for.

"Where can we go?" Jeremiah whispered out in a scarce breath.

"Not sure," Carlos responded in his own soft tone. "Only way out is up. Who knows what followed us in here!"

"Keep moving," the drone hissed out in its own whisper. "Most important buildings have their stuff at the top, right?"

"True," Karl nodded. The small group kept going. When Karl thought about turning back, another drone made a noise down below to show that they were being followed. They had no choice now. They had to move faster. When they finally reached the last floor at the top of the hospital, they opened the door in front of them. The tentacle nursery was here. The drone was forced to pause with a false sense of shock with the others.

"We gotta blow up this room!" Jeremiah finally said. "This whole fucking building!"

"No," the drone smirked, and its voice changed to its more monotone one. Now the form was dropped to reveal its short, black hair and sharp, black eyes. The scout revealed itself at last. "The three of you were expected. I had to help keep you safe. I kept my word to you all."

"What the fuck?!" Karl gaped.

"I…" Carlos found himself frozen with fear. He couldn't believe how easily he was tricked. Even Jeremiah was in a complete state of shock. Then they looked over to find a rather beautiful, curvaceous, pale-haired woman with pastel blue eyes looking at them with amusement. She was in a rather loose dress to help with her pregnancies. The young man she was with was just as beautiful, yet he was stern with a noble, commanding air with his steel-grey eyes and bound back blond hair. The tight black leather shirt and pants he wore fit him neatly to show off his perfect physique. He was grinning with amusement. He had Robert's personality of enjoying the hunt, and he was likely going to want to stay on the island permanently. As much as he wanted to hunt them down himself, he knew the drones needed to do it for him.

"Hermanubis," the woman chuckled. "Our guests are here. Do we tell our King?"

"He already knows," the man nodded. "The three of you were spared to have a chat with us. If you fight us, you will die. Shall we be reasonable? Or do we have to restrain you?"

"I'll fucking kill you!" Jeremiah shouted. Hermanubis sighed, stretched out an arm and let his viral flesh coat over the three humans to plaster them to a wall. It was exactly what Alex did to Robert when he had to restrain him.

"At least it won't take three days like what happened to Father," the woman giggled.

"Very true, Sigyn. Is our King on his way here now?" Hermanubis asked the drone.

"He will be here before the day is out. My Queen is giving birth to more eggs. When she has the next breeder batch, he will come by," the drone nodded.

"Good! I'm pregnant again, though. I may be too heavy to move later," Sigyn sighed.

"Don't worry, sister love. You know I'll take care of you," her brother smiled and kissed her. At the horrified gazes of disgust from the men on the wall, they were now casually ignored. "Are you hungry? We can let you try some fresh slabs of human. Some was salvaged."

"No. I'll stick to some of the elk that Mother sent. I want that," she beamed. He nodded with a warm smile, and the drone had already left to get her what she wanted. Now the three men went into shock again at how many drones appeared to be in the room. There had to be at least a hundred of them! Maybe even more!

"The drone scout is a bit incorrect on your fear. Our King, Project Zeus, is every bit as powerful than any could ever imagine. When he comes here, he may think about recruiting you," Hermanubis smirked. "That Commander you talked to? The one who told you to be here. You know him! He's one of us, too. The three of you were selected to possibly help us build our army. We need prized studs like yourselves. You have no families. You could join ours."

"Fuck you!" Jeremiah spat.

"Oh, that won't happen with me," the breeder male chuckled. "Maybe another."

"No…it can't end like this…" Karl whimpered.

"It doesn't have to end," Sigyn said softly. "We need you alive."

"But…our country…" Carlos fretted.

"Don't you pussies give in!" Jeremiah screamed at them.

"Look at them! Do you think we can fight them all off?!" Karl snapped. "We're likely gonna die if we refuse! And if the army set us up…"

"Who do we trust anymore?" Carlos asked softly. Now Jeremiah scowled and shivered. The breeders now planted the seed of thought to join them. They were going to help it grow until Alex got there. It was all they could do to pass the time.


	28. Chapter 28

Alex wanted them to wait two weeks before he visited, but he had to agree with the reports from his drones. When humans are cornered, they were easy to break. These were young men, too. They weren't hardened like Robert was. He was very pleased at how fast the trap was sprung, though. The three men didn't suspect a single thing. Like animals to the slaughter, they were easily led straight to the trap.

"I want to meet with them," Robert said. "Let me go."

"Why?" Alex frowned. Agatha was tucking into a large steak, and she looked at him with a frown. She clearly wasn't sure on what to think of this.

"If they see me, I know they'll join us," Robert said. "I'll tell them of how the military fucked me over. I can convince them."

"I don't want you to go," Agatha said softly. "I really don't."

"Why?" Robert asked now.

"Because the kids don't want you to go, either," she said softly. "The island is not safe for you. Granted, you'll have drones to protect you, but Alex knows how to handle himself there. You don't. Please stay here, Robert. If one thing goes wrong, I just…I don't want to think about that. It was risky enough to let you collect your things. I'm almost tempted to not have Alex go, either. We can send the men here through the cryo tubes. We can keep them trapped. Hell, we can even design a room to look like the hospital, can't we?"

"Agatha?" Alex frowned.

"I just…have this urge to keep you both here with me. Maybe it's because of the new Queens and Kings being created. I'm not sure. It's just…something ingrained in me…" she winced. "It's hard to explain."

"I'm sure it can be easy to create a duplicate holding room," Alex nodded.

"Geb can help with that," Robert nodded. "Couldn't he?"

"He can," Agatha smiled. "And he has an idea on future names."

"Oh?" Alex smiled back.

"The Norse gods and goddesses weren't used yet," she winked. "I think it would be rather intriguing if different Queen and King branches chose various names to go off of. Of course, Egyptian status and Greek to Roman names are for us, any extras could be free for any."

"I know a few lists I could dig up," Robert nodded. "We can work on that. As for a room, what do you have in mind?"

"I say we starve them first," Alex said.

"Like with me?" Robert sighed.

"You were offered food and drink. You declined," Agatha smirked.

"Okay. You're right. I fucked myself up," he nodded.

"That you did," Alex nodded to him. "Then there's Steve. Hmm. Hermes didn't want him to make Queens or Kings. He wants him to be a breeding stud. Steve doesn't want to do that. Agatha? What do you think?"

"Bring him in here. Let's find out once and for all," she nodded. "If all Hermes is grumbling about is not seeing him fight, we can put him through some exercises here, right?"

"That we can," Robert mused.

"Steve's on his way," Alex nodded. They helped her sit up a bit more, and she blinked as several drones appeared with silk and satin furnishings. If Agatha was now their Empress, they had all silently agreed to surprise her. Alex had given the okay to do this. When the new Italian-furnished tables and chairs came in, her jaw dropped with sheer delight and surprise. Even Dana's room and Ragland's room were going to be upgraded, but not as elegantly or done up.

"What's all this?" Robert grinned.

"Since our Queen is now our Empress, she will be treated as such," Kim nodded with a show of reverence. "We will shower her with wealth and riches."

"This is not necessary!" Agatha said with a frown.

"Yes, it is," Alex nodded and pulled her from the bed. The mattress was now switched out to a softer, more luxurious one of a tempurpedic brand. The light, airy material would make it much easier for her to work with and rest in. The breeders were getting this upgrade, too. Intricate paintings were now set on the walls, gauzy curtains were hung over the new bedposts and thick, plush Persian rugs were settled all over the floors.

A small treasure box was brought in filled with various diamond rings, earrings, bracelets and other jewelries and treasures for her to delight herself with. A bookshelf was brought in next and set up with a rather small, yet elaborate library. All of this was being hoarded up in secret. Another surprise for her was what Bastet had insisted on sending over from the casino. Large, ultra soft and fluffy white robes with slippers were now set up. Even the most exquisite of shampoos and soaps were now in the bathrooms. Ultra plush towels were now replacing the ordinary ones, and the old ones would be used in basic bathrooms or used for every day needs.

"That's over-doing it," Alex smirked. "But, they did insist."

"Wow…" Steve said, as he saw the newly overdone room furnishings.

"I don't think this room can take anymore," Robert grinned at the new vanity being set up with a complete stock of make-up, drawers and mirrors. The small treasure box was now placed on it with a show of pride.

"Well, I must admit, the bed is a vast improvement," she smiled and lay back on the softer mattress with relief. It was actually starting to make her drowsy, but she forced herself awake for a bit longer. "Steve, please sit down. We need to figure out what we can do with you. I understand that you don't want to become a stud. I also understand that you would like to help with Queens and Kings in creating them. All has been explained to you?"

"Ah, yeah," he nodded, as he sat down on plush chair. Alex was sitting on the bed, but behind his mate to support her. Robert was sitting in another chair to listen. "I was in a triangle before. I didn't like it. I know I'll get pissed off."

"True," Alex mused. He recalled the memories he had gleaned from the drone that got the blood from the man. "You are correct there. However, we need to figure out how intelligent you are. There are training modules here that can help us with that. One of Robert's kids can show them to you. Also…you may not be the only other one here soon."

"What?" Steve blinked. Very slowly, they told him of the other three soldiers. On thinking about it, he grimaced. "There was no need to trick them!"

"Had to be done," Alex shrugged. "We won't accept just any humans into the fold. They have to prove themselves."

"But, I survived!" Steve argued. "Granted, Sekhmet saved my life. Geb saved my life. I went through everything by myself! The men you picked were tricked into joining you. Whether they had families or not. If this was the only time it was done, then fine. I would have gone to doing another raid on the island. Let them tough it out for a week. Pick off the weak ones. Take in the survivors. Hell, if you have to, make sure they don't have families to go back to. But for those three…fuck. I'll only accept them because of what they were forced to endure. Next time, don't do that. Send in a raid, like I was sent in."

"You actually make a lot of sense," Robert said with a blink.

"Bring in Hermes," Alex said. Agatha thought to her son and watched him walk in.

"Steve, I'm sorry for doubting you," the breeder male said the moment he walked in. "Just by you telling them this, you could be worthy of being one that could make Queens and Kings. Mother told me everything telepathically. Dionysus also agrees. So does Apollo. Geb and Sekhmet are overjoyed. As for you getting a female, it may not happen right away."

"I won't have sperm made," Alex said. "We can test it to see if Agatha will instinctively make an egg for you. Only she can do this for you, since we want you to help make Queens and Kings. However, she's pregnant with my drones right now. In another two hours, she will be giving birth. Then Robert can fuck her to see what will happen. But, now I have to ask you. What do you think should be done with the three being forcefully recruited? I think I should meet them on the island. Agatha doesn't want that. She wants a room here to be a quarantine room. So, I was thinking this. We drug up the men and bring them here. Then we simply hold them until they turn."

"I think that would work," Steve thought. "They think they can escape, but they'll only see water. Is the glass unbreakable?"

"Very," Robert nodded. "Dynamite can't blow this up."

"I say," Steve said with a sly smile. "Put them in a room with a few windows with covered curtains and blinds. Let them know that they're trapped in the ocean. No way out if they even think about escaping. Wait one day, but have food and drink delivered to them. Maybe an express cart like they do with catering services. Sort of make it like the front lobby in the hospital, but have it complete with bathrooms and showers with beds. Of course, you gotta set up cameras to monitor them. Then, after a full day or two, if needed, you show up with Robert. Explain yourselves in full. If they don't accept the new terms, they die."

"You sound like me," Robert sighed. "When it comes to strategic planning."

"You'll need their blood, though. For the cryo tube, right?" Agatha frowned.

"I would," Alex nodded. "Easy to do with them pinned down, though. Ah. Hermanubis was able to get me some vials of blood. They are being transported down now in a water-tight container. Easily done. As for the three men, I will have a room converted to look like what you suggested, Steve. I'm actually really impressed by your idea. I'm sure we can stock up the real hospital with various drugs to incapacitate them."

"Ragland would know the best ones. Transport that shit up to the island," Robert nodded.

"Hariti has him working on it now," Hermes nodded. "And she's pregnant. One child."

"How wonderful!" Agatha beamed.

"Speaking of which, I need to get back to Dana. She needs a good back rub," he smiled. "She'll be giving birth to our daughter in three days, and she looks six months pregnant."

"That she does," Alex nodded. "Go tend to her."

"Right," Hermes nodded and left quickly.

"How long before that room is done?" Agatha asked.

"It could take the rest of the day," Alex smiled. "My drones are reporting that the three humans are declining food and drink right now."

"Like what I did," Robert smirked. "I'm going to over-see that room construction. I'll be back later on."

"Fine," Alex nodded. When he looked down at Agatha, she was gazing at him warmly. "What is it, Hera? What's on your mind?"

"Would we keep the Queens and Kings here?" she asked.

"You know," he thought. "I think they should take over head populations in full. If we move them into settlements, they could take over the head people in charge. Of course, ones that never get voted out and such. Maybe owners of plantations or other areas of vast wealth. There are other hidden bases. John knew practically all of them."

"So, we would have them filter to those areas," she mused.

"Exactly," he grinned wickedly. "There's one near Russia. Another near Japan. Oh, there's even one off of Europe…"

"And we can build more if we have to," she chuckled.

"That we can," he muttered and kissed her hard. The next three hours were dedicated to her sleeping, constructing the holding chamber and preparing for three human guests.


	29. Chapter 29

On the island, the three men were easily drugged up with shots and getting ready for transport. It was agreed to not introduce the drug that would wake them up until all three men were settled in the underwater base chamber. Basic beds and a table with small trays of food were the only things permitted in the room. They wanted nothing to be used as weapons. If they tried to use the trays, the small aluminum platters were bolted down to the heavy steel tables. They would be unbolted when cleaning was needed.

The men were relieved of their uniforms to only have their dog tags, white shirts and briefs on. All weapons and equipment was removed. The showering facilities were functioning and set up with basic cleaning products. Ragland assessed them, but did not give them Agatha's blood. They had to agree to want to help them first. Only then would her blood be given to them. Once the room was set with food and drink, a viewing window was set up for them to monitor the neutralizing drug when it got injected.

"Curious?" Alex smirked at Robert.

"Very," he nodded. "Carlos might be receptive to us. Same with Karl. Jeremiah…I'm not sure. If we can't break his will, we may be better off killing him."

"I would prefer to kill them all," Alex snorted.

"Well, we did agree to give them one day to adjust to their new surroundings. Is there enough food in there?"

"The table is heaped with meat, fruits and water jugs. There's no utensils in there to keep them from wanting to hurt themselves. The showers are open. The towels in there are just long enough to dry themselves off with. If anyone tries to strangle themselves, I did have a surprise put in the room. I wanna see if it works."

"Oh? Care to share?" Robert grinned.

"The sprinklers not only spray water, but a sleep inducing gas. It's odorless and smokeless. After it leaves their system within an hour, they wake up. We'll likely put them in the beds and reset the room to freak them out," Alex said with an amusing grin. "The drones don't need to sleep, so they'll be monitoring this room. And, since they don't need to breath, they gas won't affect them if it's used. Also, I do have a scout in there with camouflage to help keep the peace if they berserk. Everything they do will be watched."

"Good," Robert nodded. "Were they given the wake up drug?"

"It's being given now," Alex said. A drone with Aden's form walked in, gave the shots to the men in their necks and walked out as the door sealed shut behind it. Ten minutes crawled by before movement was finally given.

"Motherfucker!" Jeremiah growled out as he blinked awake. He jerked around wildly and fell out of the bed. Groaning as he put a hand to his forehead, he blinked at where he was. He saw how he was dressed and he swore. He looked around and paused at the food on the table. He was starving. He gave in. The smell of cooked meat was his undoing. He didn't even notice his other two companions finally waking up in much the same way.

"Where…are we…?" Karl whispered.

"I don't know," Carlos swallowed. They looked over at the food table and tackled it.

"Poisoned?" Karl muttered and tore into a chicken leg.

"Don't care," Jeremiah snorted. Right after they ate and drank their fills, they were able to focus better. Another ten minutes passed by before the curtains were discovered. When they were pulled back to show the window, the three of them paused in horror.

"Is that…water…?" Carlos blinked. As if in response, a school of bait fish flitted by the window and vanished. They weren't in an aquarium. This was the ocean. Karl backed away with trembling movements. Jeremiah had nothing he could say now. Carlos was deep in thought. He moved to inspect the room rather calmly. He found the bathroom and showers. He decided to use them.

"What are you doing?!" Jeremiah asked him.

"If we are to stay here, then we may as well look civilized. We were kept alive for a reason. Granted, we may die, but I don't want to smell of sweat and shit," Carlos muttered. "I want to look presentable, even if I don't have a change of clothes. They left just enough in here for us. They gave us food and water. If they didn't want us to live, we would all be dead. I don't know what the two of you want to do, but I'm taking a shower and cleaning up."

"Well…" Karl frowned. He did need a shower. They all did. Giving in, the three cleaned up. After they had redressed in their white shirts and briefs, they sat on the beds.

"Now what do we do?" Jeremiah asked.

"We wait. I'm fairly sure we are being watched. Examined. Likely to see if we are going to berserk or anything. If we were hungry, I'm sure that would have happened. So, I don't know about the two of you, but I'm going to sleep," Carlos shrugged. "Not much else to do until then. We have no weapons. No communication. Nothing. We're under the ocean. No one knows where we are. Why fight it? May as well see what they want, right?"

"Fucking…" Jeremiah muttered. He couldn't argue. Carlos hit everything right on target. They were powerless. Karl was already yawning from the stress he had to put up with. Sleep was easily taken into consideration. As they settled down, Robert and Alex were clearly surprised at them.

"Carlos is definitely the most promising one," Alex said.

"He's a natural at taking the lead," Robert nodded.

"We should kill the other two and just keep him."

"No. We'll assess them all together. If Carlos shows he's letting up, the other two will follow. I know this for a fact. What does Agatha think?"

"Hmm…" Alex thought to a drone. "She agrees with you. She wants to have as many studs as possible for future offspring. They will be crucial. As much as you could fuck a Queen to do the job, I already know that Agatha will refuse it. She sees you as her stud. You are top quality to her. None other will do. She liked you the moment she saw you, anyways."

"Well, she did comment to me that she wanted me to fuck her first," Robert sighed with a chuckle. "This was before she left to find you."

"Would you consider fucking another Queen?" Alex asked now.

"No. It wouldn't seem right to me," he admitted. "It's as though…I feel connected to her. I don't want to sleep with any others."

"Fine. Agatha is pregnant with drones again. I'm gonna be with her. What will you do? Stick around here?"

"Yeah. I want to see what's going to happen," Robert nodded.

"You could have a drone get you the moment movement happens," Alex shrugged. "You could start preparing a list of questions to ask them."

"True," he mused. He looked over at Hermes when he walked up to them.

"Father, if Carlos agrees to work with us, I want him as the stud male for my daughter," his son said bluntly. "He fits my criteria."

"If he agrees, then fine," Robert nodded. "Two more days?"

"Yes," Hermes grinned. "There was another reason I came over."

"What for?" Alex asked.

"Do we have anymore ham? Dana has been wanting it. She wants it very sweet, too. I don't know how much honey we have left," Hermes sighed.

"Go talk to Kim. That drone's the one in charge of the food supply," Alex said. The breeder male nodded and walked off to the kitchen. "He likes to do things himself."

"That he does. I'll go prepare a question list. Maybe Agatha can help me out," Robert thought aloud. "She does come up with some good strategic questions."

"That she can. Maybe she has an idea of what we can do when they wake up."

"You know what? I'll check on Agatha with you," he smirked. Alex flipped him off to get a response in kind, and they walked to the newly furnished bedroom. Agatha was actually trying to see if she could brush her hair. The moment the bristles touched the hair-like strands, the tentacles would appear to instinctively shift aside.

"What are you doing?" Alex asked with amusement.

"Trying to see if I could do a normal thing that human women can do," she sighed and put the brush back on the vanity table. "My hair doesn't like to be touched, apparently. My daughters can do it just fine, though. Likely because of Robert's blood. But, it's only the ones with shorter hair. If they have long hair, it's like mine. Hermes can brush his hair out, though, and he has long hair. Oh! Hermanubis really likes the thought that he can hunt down the humans we send over. He and Sigyn would like to stay on the island permanently. Sigyn is content to stay in one spot, and I think Hermanubis loves the thrill of the hunt."

"If they want to, then fine. He's rather sadistic, anyways," Alex chuckled. "I do remember how he enjoyed gutting open large fish."

"I think he's the type of guy that if he can get away with something, he'll do it. He won't even have to think about it," Robert grimaced. "I had that trait on the field of battle. I think he got it. He won't do anything against us, but I noticed that he was the one that tried to set up strategized camera feeds for us while he was here. I can't see what the kids see, or hear them, and he wanted to fix that. He wants to do the same thing for the island."

"How does he plan to do that?" Alex frowned.

"Oh!" Agatha blinked. "Osiris will help him. He's going to convince the military board to send in a group to set up cameras on various points around the island. For military viewpoints. Hermanubis will help him find the best camera spots. There are various buildings that can allow access to that, if they are tall enough. But, after we either wipe out or recruit the military group to our cause, the camera feeds will be redirected to us with the hidden satellite that's active. Hermanubis will set up a main camera feed in the hospital to do this. He can get all the equipment he needs from the military bunkers that were left behind."

"He's a fucking military genius," Robert winced.

"Can he add more cameras?" Alex asked.

"With the right equipment, he can," Agatha smirked. "Now…hmm…that's not good…"

"What?" Alex frowned.

"That assistant's brother…" Agatha focused on the thoughts reaching her. "He feels that something isn't right. Isis is trying to convince him that everything is fine, as Lynette would have done, but he's always had a feeling to know that something is off. He plans to visit sooner. Within two days. I wonder…"

"What? When you start grinning like that, something's up," Alex said with a small grin.

"He has a very nice build. And he's very smart. He'd make a good breeding stud," she mused. "We can get a drone to bring him here, can't we?"

"And if he refuses?" Robert asked.

"One of the breeder males can take him over and have his mate as a 'surprise' girlfriend," she grinned. "We could gain a nice foothold in Japan that way. If he agrees to help us, he will remain here and a drone will be sent in his place."

"You are very scary with that mind of yours," Robert chuckled.

"Be very glad that I like you," she smirked. That had him nodding. "What are the three men doing right now?"

"Funny you should ask," Alex chuckled. He told her what they did, and she was clearly impressed. On learning what Hermes wanted of Carlos, she nodded. She could see that human being a good breeding stud right away. "The one called Jeremiah could be problematic."

"If I meet with them and he insults me to my face, I'll kill him personally," Agatha said in such a cold, uncaring tone that Robert blinked at her. "I am Empress. Anyone that insults me to my face dies on the spot. I don't care how much planning it took to get them here. I won't tolerate it. Ever. There are no second chances with me."

"Understood," Alex nodded. Robert actually swallowed. She was listed as a top-ranking soldier and survived having a thermonuclear bomb implanted in her head. She had every right to be a cold-hearted bitch if she had to be.

"I'm starting to get hungry," she sighed. "I want to know when those men wake up. I want to see them after they talk to you two."

"We can arrange it," Alex smiled and pulled her into a tight hug. He gave an odd glance at Robert, and the man gave the same glance back. They knew what she was like when she was livid. They didn't want that anger to be directed towards them.

"Anything you're in the mood to eat?" Robert asked. Now she gave him a look with a bit of a wicked grin, and Alex started to laugh. Then the look she gave him next had him look back at her with complete curiosity.

"I am wondering," she mused. "What would happen if I had you both at once?"

"Fuck. That," Alex growled.

"Wait, what?!" Robert gaped.

"I'll be neutral to him, but like fucking hell am I going to fuck you with him!" Alex snarled out. "That's drawing a line!"

"Then I suppose Robert will need to give some sperm to Ragland so that I can put it in me as you're fucking me. Right?" Agatha said with a touch of twisted amusement. "It makes me wonder if I can give birth to breeders and drones at once."

"Agatha, that could be drastic," Robert said now. "We know how much your belly swells. And if you have both at once…"

"I think he's right," Alex nodded. "One after the other is best."

At both of their concerned looks, she relented with a small nod. If they both felt strongly for her well-being, she didn't argue. Now that she was tended to and fed, the simple wait for having the men wake up naturally was being done.


	30. Chapter 30

It wouldn't be until two hours later that movement happened in the containment cell. The moment one of the soldiers stirred, Alex and Robert were informed. Agatha was bedridden from being in a fast growing phase, but one of the breeder drones would tell her everything that happened. Alex assumed the guise of Sergeant Thomas, and Robert put on one of the top military uniforms he had. As much as he hated to wear it now, it would show how high up the ladder he used to be. It would demand respect.

"Ready?" Alex smirked.

"Now or never," Robert sighed. "I wonder if Agatha would like to see me in a uniform. Do you think she would?"

"Better not. She might rip it off you," he grinned.

"Well, this uniform was a bitch to get. I don't want it in pieces right now," Robert said with a slight smile. It was pitch black with gold trim. The military hat brim was shined up and reflected the golden insignia in the front. There were no brass buttons anywhere on the suit. It was all gold. It was awarded to him by John after saving him from a sniper rifle in one of his old glory days. All of his top ranking badges of military honors adorned it. Another nod was given to each other, and the door opened for them.

"What the…" Jeremiah blinked as he sat up in the bed. The other two sat up now.

"At ease, Soldier," Robert said lightly. "Like you, I'm trapped here. However, it's more of my own free will. There are no Foreign enemies here, but your lives are all in danger. Hear me out, make a decision and we will go from there. Understood?"

"Who are you?" Carlos frowned.

"I am…was…Commander Robert Harrison. The military was going to sack me, so I decided to stay here. This is Sergeant Thomas. He's my assistant. At times, sometimes all the time, it's the other way around. The three of you were chosen to come here. As much as I wished it could have been another way, there was no other way. Yes, the Commander you spoke with on the surface is no longer human. There are…many that you may have met at that base that are likely the same. Please, save your questions until after. And, yes, I am still human," he smiled with a nod. "It was because I agreed to help. Anyways, will you three hear me out?"

"Yes," Carlos nodded from where he was on the bed.

"Not much of a choice," Karl frowned. Jeremiah snorted, but he crossed his arms over his broad chest. For an hour, Robert explained everything that was expected of them. Alex kept his face completely expressionless as he judged each of their actions. The hive collective was very wary of Jeremiah. He was showing the most distaste at everything.

"Are there any others here?" Carlos asked when Robert finished.

"Yes. Steve Collins is a soldier much like yourself. He was abandoned, and my kids found him. Not the ones you met, though," Robert chuckled. "He wants to help make Queens and Kings. Since he vowed to help us, and he has been doing that, we are going to let him do just that. The three of you are, we hope, to become breeding studs."

"When I signed up for the army, I was _not_ going to do anything like this! Fuck you!" Jeremiah snarled out. "I joined up because I wanted to protect my country! To fight for my country! Not this alien bullshit!"

"Is that so?" Alex muttered and let the form waver to his true one. "I'm Project Zeus. Say that again. To my face. I fucking dare you."

"I…" now Jeremiah's jaw dropped. His heart was in his throat. He was staring directly at the Blacklight Project. He was as good as dead.

"Your fucked up country was going to slaughter an innocent woman and rape her up the ass!" Alex hissed with rage. "They made her to kill me so that they could kill her! To use her like she was _garbage_! How fucking dare you to come here saying that your country expects you to fight for them when they knew this shit was going down!"

"Not everyone knew," Robert mumbled. "I doubt that over five percent of the military knew. Jeremiah, last chance. Do you want to join us? If you don't, you will die. Right here. Right now. You were one of the few chosen because you agreed that you would help kill your fellow man in order to survive. Was that a lie?"

"I didn't expect it to turn out like this…" Jeremiah cringed.

"I'll join you," Carlos said with a light nod. "I have no ties anywhere. I'm sure I'm already reported dead. If I wasn't in the military, I'd be living off the streets with nothing to show for it. All of my family is dead, thanks to a mudslide that covered most of the village I lived in. I came over the border from Mexico, as it was, so I'm not really a true United States citizen. A friend of mine helped me get the papers to forge the documents."

"Really?!" Robert blinked. "Hmm. Well, if that's the case, welcome aboard! My son, Hermes, has already claimed you to help out his daughter when she's born. You'll get a shot of Agatha's blood to keep you from getting infected. When you walk out this door, follow the drone that's there. You will be monitored, at first. It's a precaution."

"I understand," Carlos shrugged.

"You…son of a bitch…" Jeremiah hissed out as the man walked out of the room.

"And you?" Alex asked when he looked at Karl.

"I don't know," the red-headed man admitted. "I'm still in a bit of shock, to tell the truth. I was adopted, so I do have a foster family. I care about them. There's no way for me to write them? To tell them that I won't be coming home?"

"You're likely already registered as missing in action," Robert said with a soft smile. "They will be compensated accordingly for you. Like I explained to you, a massive family here is being offered to you. All you need to do is do what you're told. It's really not that bad. I wouldn't be surprised if you find yourself enjoying everything a bit more than you like."

"Can I have a little more time to think about it?" Karl asked.

"One hour," Alex nodded. "And you?"

"Fuck this. Kill me now," Jeremiah trembled.

"Fine," Alex said with a dark look.

"Wait," Robert said. A nasty glare was given to him, but it was ignored. "Jeremiah. I want to know your thoughts on this."

"I risked my fucking life every fucking day," the man trembled. "To serve with honor and integrity! To be raised right! Now I'm being told to kill the ones that forced me into this situation?! To go against everything I was brought up to be?"

Robert was about to respond, but the door opened to reveal Agatha there. Alex hissed at how pregnant she was, but Robin was carrying her. Karl and Jeremiah both stared at her with shock at how beautiful she was.

"I am Project Hera. You can call me Agatha," she said softly with a nod. "One of my son's drones was in this room to let me hear the conversation."

"My Empress," the blond-haired scout drone whispered as it revealed itself. The entire hive has now labeled her as their Empress and not their Queen.

"In less than one day, after I was brought out of the hibernation chamber," she sighed. "Alex was able to get stronger than me. How did it happen? A scientist was jealous that Robert had my affections. He fucked over the entire mission that I was supposed to do. My life was forfeit. If it wasn't for Alex, the island would be destroyed along with me. He saved my life. He gave me another reason to exist. Your government created me to kill him. I was trained to be just like one of you. But I was made to end up dead in the end. All because I wasn't fully human. Yet…what is a human? I can talk to you. I can touch you. I can laugh and cry like any other. But…I was still destined to be killed.

"I am personally offering you both a chance to join me at my side. To gain a new reason for existence. To become a part of something great, and yes, it will become global! You will never have to worry about going hungry. You will never have to worry about death. I offer you a chance to become more than what you are now. To become a part of an ever-growing family that will branch out and touch wherever it can. To help in creating an empire."

"I've been brought up to do what was right. To do what I felt was right…" Jeremiah muttered. "Granted, our country can be a downright shithole. But it's still my country."

"Not everyone will die," Robert smiled. "I'm still alive. They do show compassion where it's needed. We don't target kids. We don't target large families. We only target those that deserve what's coming to them. Then we grow off of that."

"I'm in," Karl said suddenly. Jeremiah looked at him with shock. "Just…leave my foster family out of this. That's my only request."

"Done," Alex nodded. "Follow the drone outside."

Karl nodded and walked out the door without another word to Jeremiah. Robert smiled softly and looked over at the last man in the room.

"And what about you?" Agatha asked softly. "What is your decision?"

"I'm sorry about your life. But…I can't do this," Jeremiah said. Before anyone could blink, Alex lunged forward to impale him on his blade and heaved him up into the air to slice through all of his vital organs. Another drone had a container ready to catch any spilled blood. When the jerking of various limbs finally stopped, the body was dumped into the container. Several drones would sink the body to bottom of the ocean and ensure it would never be found.

"Two out of three. Not bad," Alex grinned.

"Let's go with what Steve suggested with various raiding parties," Agatha said. Robert nodded as they left the room. As much as he wanted to be horrified with what he just witnessed, he was remarkably calm. He was no stranger to death. The man was given a choice, and he declined. He wouldn't be missed at all.

"What's for lunch?" Alex grinned.

"I just watched someone die, and you're talking about food?" Robert asked him with disbelief. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"I'm sure Agatha's hungry," Alex smirked. "Besides, to me, this was all in a day's work. Assassins, mercenaries and common thugs would say the same thing."

It would be an hour later that both Carlos and Karl would hear of their former man's demise. All they did was cluck their tongue at his stupidity, but it was his choice in the end. They were taken to the lab first to be given a shot of Agatha's blood and introduced to Ragland to get a physical check-up. After that, they had gotten acquainted with Steve and learned his story of how he got there. Carlos was able to meet with Hermes, and he was amazed at what the breeder male looked like. The other breeder males there were able to talk to them casually. It was just like talking to other people. It amazed them.

When a room was given to them, they found a set of boxes on their beds. Hermanubis sent a personalized letter to them stating how pleased he was that they joined them, and he had sent them some designer clothing for them to wear. Another box was there with luxury soaps, shampoos, shaving creams and other things for them to use from the casino that Anubis was staying at. There were even better quality steaks and foods set up for them to eat when they were hungry. Neither of them were expecting this treatment so soon after agreeing to join up, but it was Karl that put it into perspective.

"Are we getting…pampered?" Karl winced.

"You're right. Like a dog…" Carlos sighed. "I will not be trained to do tricks!"

"I agree. I'll draw a line there," he nodded. They had learned rather quickly what humans were known as to the viral family. Steve had hinted it to them.

"I'll do what I'm told when it comes to chores. But I won't sit up or play dead," Carlos muttered. "I'll bite the hand that feeds me, if it comes to that."

"Maybe I'll piss on a carpet," Karl grinned. That got them both laughing at each other, and they started to go through their gift boxes to see what they could start using.


	31. Chapter 31

Nothing else happened until two days later. Dana was experiencing the first of many labor pains, and Hermes was right there at her side to help her. Ragland had a receiving blanket ready, and Hariti was setting up an area in the lab to help clean the baby the moment she was born. Hermes was overly anxious about this. Dana was simply livid with the pain.

"I'm here," Hermes soothed.

"Fuck you! Fuck what you've done to me! Fuck everything!" Dana seethed and gasped at another contraction. "I should have never fucked you!"

"I didn't hear you complaining," Hermes smiled wickedly. That actually got her to blush. "I'll back off after this. I don't know if you'll come to me, though. You were exceptionally horny at times, too, so don't blame all of this on me."

"Why the fuck do you have to look so…" she panted and shouted at another contraction.

"Just be glad you only have to do one and not multiples like Mother," Hermes said softly. That got her to look at him with a frown, and she trembled hard. He was able to counter everything she was mad about rather easily. "After this one, you can rest. We'll both rest. I'll let you recover and tend to our daughter, okay? I'm not leaving your side for anything."

"Promise?" she whimpered. He kissed her lovingly with a very gentle smile.

"You know I do," he chuckled. "Now let's focus on getting our kid out of you so you can stop swearing at me. It's not much longer."

"You're not the one going through the pain," she grimaced and started to push. Hariti had warm, damp towels ready to help clean her up. Another grueling ten minutes passed before the baby girl's shrill cries finally filled the room. The afterbirth was delivered next and disposed of. Dana could only relax back on the soft pillows and let Hermes gently wipe off the sweat. When she was helped up to start nursing the newborn, he gazed down at his daughter.

She had his long hair and Dana's brown eyes. She was going to be just as beautiful as Agatha was. There was another thing he noticed, too. As the baby nursed, she was growing.

"A year in a day," Ragland mused as he watched the growing infant. "It appears to be a slow growth, though. Maybe two days of nursing, if that. It gives me an idea of what to expect for my future child. What do you think, Hermes?"

"It does make sense," Hermes nodded. He looked over to see his father walking in to see his granddaughter. "Father! Coming to meet Rhea?"

"You know I am," Robert chuckled. "She's, eh, growing pretty fast. Isn't she?"

"I know. Likely a toddler before the day is out," Hermes nodded. He looked over at Alex and Agatha coming in. His mother was pregnant with breeders, but it was only a couple hours in. She was very pleased at what Rhea looked like.

"Can you hear her thoughts?" Alex asked.

"Ah…" Hermes focused. "I think I can. Rather fuzzy right now, in infant stage, but I'm sure that it will get better as her brain develops more. Can you hear her, Mother?"

"Hmm," Agatha mused. "It's faint, but I can. Likely because of you being my son."

"Good. As Empress, you should be able to hear all future Kings and Queens," Alex nodded. "What are you going to do now, Commander?"

"It's just Robert now," he sighed.

"No. It's Commander to me," Alex grinned.

"You just like watching me get pissed off," Robert growled.

"You bet your ass," Alex grinned a bit wider.

"Stop it," Agatha snorted. "You're both a couple of idiots! Ah…oh…"

"What's wrong?" Alex asked now, as his concern went completely to her.

"Lynette's brother…" she blinked.

"He's about to show up on the doorstep of Osiris and Isis," Hermes muttered.

"What perfect fucking timing!" Alex scowled.

"Don't swear in front of my daughter," Dana said with a glare at him. Alex gave her an odd look, but he wouldn't argue. She was helping him by giving birth to Queens and Kings. He would abide by her rules. He owed her too much just for what she did for his mate.

"Father. Mother. My King and Emperor," Hermes said respectfully. "I think it's time I had some alone time with my family. As much as it may be short-lived with how fast my daughter is growing. I need to take what I can get."

"Of course," Robert nodded. After Ragland evaluated the baby a bit more, he also took his leave to let the new parents rest and bond with their new baby girl.

"Who is escorting Lynette's brother?" Agatha asked. She was settled back in her bed and given a cooked steak. "What do we do about him?"

"I think we can drug him up and bring him here," Alex said.

"Actually," she mused. "There is another drone with Lynette's likeness, right?"

"Quite a few, but there is one living with them," he nodded.

"Let's have the drone bring him here," she grinned. "He wants to know more about what's going on. It can offer to show him, but he would need to be blindfolded. It could give an excuse to Osiris that a shopping trip needs to be done. I'm sure the human would take it as time to be with his former sister. Then we can bring him here…"

"And contain him," Alex grinned.

"I'll see if another room is ready," Robert nodded. When he left, Alex moved to gather up his mate to pull close. She sighed and rested her hand in his hair under the hood.

"I really hate not being able to hear your part of the hive mind," he admitted. "I know I can get the memories if I take the blood, but it just sucks that I can't get anything as it happens. At least the drones can collect memories for me and travel with the breeders and their drones. I'd try to fuck a breeder female just to see what happens, but…"

"Yes, Zeus?" she asked with a soft whisper.

"I would never want it to seem like I'm betraying you, Hera," he muttered and kissed her hard. He knew that the god he was named after was a known womanizer. That didn't mean that he had to be. When the kiss they shared got far more intense, it was easy for him to mate with her. All through his time with her, he kept his face pressed into her neck.

"What is it, Zeus?" she whispered. She could tell that something was bothering him. "You know that you can tell me."

"Have you ever…kissed Robert?" he asked.

"Now that's an odd question," she mused. He rose up over her to look at her. "I actually haven't. There's been no need to. A kiss is usually shared between those that love each other. I care about Robert. That's no lie. He cares about me, too. But we aren't fully in love. It's more like…he is simply full-filling his part of the bargain. His duty to me."

"Don't ever kiss him," he whispered. "For me."

"My love," she whispered softly with a warm smile. "The most I've ever done was kiss his cheek or his forehead. Maybe even his skin during a mating. I have never kissed him fully. There is no need for me to do that. I just need to kiss you."

He kissed her fiercely now as he claimed her again. After twenty minutes passed, he noticed she looked troubled now. "Hera?"

"Osiris is asking me what to do about the human visitor," she frowned.

"Let's do as you suggest. Lure him down with a drone. It can be done late at night when humans are usually sleeping. They can 'sneak out' of the building to a submarine. The drone with Lynette's figure will allow the human to 'convince' it to show off what's going on," Alex grinned wickedly. At the nod of approval, he kissed her again. The message was sent through the hive mind. It was time to start taking over Japan at last, and preparations were quickly being done. Osiris and Isis had a guest room ready for the human. Everything was going to look like nothing was wrong. Isis knew how to act out the issue perfectly. All that they had to do was wait for their target to appear. That time was fast approaching.


	32. Chapter 32

Sakuma didn't know what to expect when he got out of the airport. The call he made to his sister a few days ago disturbed him. She may have changed her name to Lynette for American use, but he always saw her as Hikari. He was the most protective of her, and he hated how she optioned to willingly go with that American man. Even though she was more like a half-sister from his father's hay-days in the States, she was taken in the moment she showed that fabled Japanese wit. She actually bonded with his mother as though she was her daughter all along! It was mainly why his other brothers didn't like her very much, but Sakuma adored her. Maybe it was because he was the youngest of them. Now that she's showing hesitation from living in the States, he's been trying to convince her to return home ever since.

Lynette had actually called him before she met her demise at the underwater lab. She hinted to him that she was scared. She needed him to see her. The only problem was that he wasn't really going to see 'her'. He was walking into a trap and had no idea. He checked his phone for the last time he called her. It was roughly an hour ago. He didn't know that he spoke to Isis. She played out everything with picture-perfect acting. The same stressful, whispery tone in Japanese was muttered out. The small shiver of breath that she was scared out of her mind. The bait was caught and now the target was easily being reeled in.

The black limousine that showed up had two drones in it. One from Alex's side and the other from Osiris and Isis. Sakuma found it odd that there were two in the vehicle, but then he saw the trunk was filled with food supplies. He was being picked up on the way back from a supply pick-up. It was the only way to get him in a timely manner.

"Sir? Are you Mr. Sakuma Hamamoto?" the blond drone asked.

"Yes," he said lightly.

"Very good, Sir. We are expecting you," the black-haired drone said. They kept sunglasses on over their eyes and wore suits that resembled an off-set of military style tuxedos. They looked crisp and clean to form. The drone resembling Nick nodded to the human and got back in the passenger side up front. The blond-haired drone resembled Aden, in a way, and it opened up the back passenger door. When Sakuma got in, his luggage was placed carefully inside. Then the door was shut, and the driver got back in the driver's seat to start heading off.

"How far away are we?" Sakuma asked.

"About an hour out. We will make good time," the drone resembling Nick said with a nod. Sakuma thought nothing of how silent they were. His thoughts were filled with his sister. He went into his front pocket to pull out a comb and mirror. He carefully checked the way his soft, black hair fell off to the side neatly. It tapered to the back of his neck, and his long front locks framed his sharp chin perfectly. His dark brown eyes blinked back at him under neatly groomed eyebrows. His ears were slightly exposed, but it was how he liked it. It hid the small, gold hoop earring he wore on his right ear lobe. His father never approved of it, but he liked it. It gave him a sense of style.

He brushed off the stylish open-front suit he wore. The dark blue jacket accentuated the crisp, white cotton undershirt neatly. The few buttons were open to show he was a bit relaxed. No need to button it up fully right now. He was showing that he was here for a friendly visit. His dark blue pants were smoothed out with a touch of nervousness, and he rubbed off a spot of grit from a shiny, black shoe. He normally isn't this tense, but he knew that something was wrong. Out of his four other brothers, he was always the closest to his sister.

His phone rang, and he answered it. "Hello? Hikari! Wait…slow down! Okay. I'm in the limo and heading to your place now. Yes. We can do lunch when I get there. Okay. I'll see you soon. I love you, too. See you!"

Isis knew that she would have to call him quite a few times. Even as the dining room table was being set with a small course of appetizers, she had to keep the ruse up.

"Still working like a charm?" Osiris grinned.

"Of course," Isis chuckled. "Good thing I finished off the last birth a few minutes ago."

"True. I'll have to fight off every urge I have to touch you," he sighed.

"You're not the only one," she murmured seductively in his ear. He growled at her, and she gave him a teasing wink. He had a mix of Dionysus and Apollo when it came to attitude. He was stern when needed, but he liked to have fun, too. Isis was very much the same way. If there was one thing they both had definitely gained from Robert it was an intense appetite for sex. The man never really let it out until it was called for. And, like the others, the attitude was intensified. If the breeder couple had their way, they'd never leave the bedroom. Most of the time, it was just like that. The kiss they shared next almost forced them to lose control, but she pulled herself away.

"You don't play fair," he tensed.

"I know, brother dear," she chuckled. "Don't worry. After the human is seen to, we can use the hot tub. We haven't use that yet."

"I'm holding you to that!" he grinned wickedly. At the nip to his chin she gave him, he glared at her with a form of control. He almost lost it when she wiggled her rump at him when she walked away in the sleek gown of red velvet. Even the gold flower decorations in traditional Japanese style seemed to caress against her form as she moved in it. He hated and loved how she enjoyed the feel of stretch velvet. Now he thought to the hive and agreed that several bolts would be purchased for their mother. She would enjoy the feel of it, too.

"Make it with satin lining," Isis giggled. "It's a very luxurious texture. It's so smooth to the touch. It's like a warm mix of silk and chocolate."

"You have no need for it," he muttered. "Come with me, sister mine. We need to make sure the guest room is prepared."

"Already done!" she laughed. He chuckled and shook his head. He looked rather regal in the loose, light blue button down shirt. The stiff collar seemed to show off his rather buffed out chest and figure. He had to alter quite a few shirts and pants. The old Commander's clothing was too tight on him in the arms and hips. He watched her call Sakuma again, and he moved up behind her when the call was done.

"Any ideas as to what we can do while we wait for the target?" he asked with sly grin.

"Oh, I have plenty ideas of what we can do after the fact," she smirked. He smirked back and encircled his arms around her slender, lithe form. She leaned back against his chest and whispered, "I'm fairly sure we'd just have ten minutes at a time, though."

"Not long enough, then," he sighed. Like Alex and his father, he tended to take a full hour at a time with her. And it had to be uninterrupted.

"I am a bit hungry, though," she muttered, turned in his arms and nibbled his lower lip. His mouth was quick to ravish hers with his own form of hunger. Ten minutes seemed to fly by with how absorbed they were with each other. At the end of each ten minutes, she would call Sakuma on queue. Then it was back to making out. She stopped calling after the fifth call to him, and her mate pulled her close to kiss in his hungry, ravishing way again. At the mental alarm that the target arrived, they were forced to push apart. With mental jabs at each other that they'd have time soon, she shifted into the form of Lynette easily. He became John's form and nodded. They knew it was time to set the trap.

"I'll be in the study," he chuckled and patted her rump. She wiggled it at him again to get that low growl she loved to hear. She delighted in tormenting him that way. He enjoyed it all too much, as well. When he forced himself to leave, she went to the small atrium garden in the main entrance. Sitting down at a table, a drone in the guise of a servant gave her some tea to sip. Lynette always drank tea to calm her nerves. The ploy worked to perfection.

"Hikari!" she heard Sakuma voice out. "Lynette?!"

"Over here!" she said with small smile. "John is in his study. Um…the ride wasn't too bad for you? Everything was fine?"

"Yeah. I came out the moment you called me. What's going on?" he asked as he sat down. He was offered something to eat, and he accepted. The planes hardly offered anything these days, and he was famished.

"I can't…really say…" she said timidly. When a small plate of delicate tea cookies appeared with bite-sized cakes and sandwiches, he started to tuck in. She barely nibbled on a sandwich. It's how Lynette acted when something was wrong.

"You should eat," he frowned.

"I'm…too nervous…" she cringed and shivered. "Something big is happening. John…he wants me to be a part of it. I really…I don't want to…"

"How big?" Sakuma frowned.

"If it gets out of hand…I mean…" she whimpered. "I can't go home. I can't go anywhere. I'm locked into this."

"_Hikari, you can speak to me,_" he said in soft Japanese.

"_I know, Sakuma. I vowed to keep the secret. I cannot let it out. I would…have to show you. And it is something I cannot do. It would hurt you. You could die! Everyone could die if it got out of control! John…he wants my help in this. He said that my DNA would be beneficial. But, I'm scared! I saw what I would have to do. I vowed to help him, but…_"

"_You can trust me,_" he smiled and held her hand. "_I've always been there for you._"

"Well…" she thought, and she spoke English again. She swallowed and said, "I would need to get John's permission. For you to see the project we are working on. I can't just…say it. Even the walls have ears now, you know? No matter what language we talk in. Even if I write it out, something can be seen. I don't know how else to say it. You wouldn't believe me if I did. You would have to see it to believe it."

"I trust you. I will see what you want me to see," he nodded. "Just…eat more? Please?"

"Okay," she nodded. They finished off the small lunch, and he escorted her to the study. The walls were lined with books from common to unique to rare. A massive globe with ornate wood and porcelain design rested near the back wall. Osiris was pouring over a military workbook with John's form activated. He looked up and appeared a bit irritated.

"Lynette, why is your brother here?" he asked sternly.

"John, ah, I…told him I saw our latest project. Um…he wants to see it, too," she said with a soft frown. "I'm sorry, John! I'm too scared! And with what you want me to do…!"

"Okay," Osiris said smoothly, and he rose up to walk over to comfort her. "I know it's a big thing that I'm asking of you. If you think your brother can help, well…hmm. Maybe he can. But, no. He needs to go back to Japan."

"If my sister wants me to see something, then I have to see it! If I don't, I'll report to my Father!" Sakuma threatened. "Hikari will come home with me!"

"Stubborn," Osiris smirked. "Again. I say no. Your father knows what I dabble in. He would agree with me. You. Go. Home. You have no say-so here! Lynette, please retire to your room. Don't let your brother follow you!"

"He's my family, John!" Isis gasped with perfection. "If I want him with me, then he'll come with me! He is here for _me_! Not for you!"

"Do you not remember your promise to me?" Osiris asked now. She whimpered and shivered. Sakuma knew she wouldn't be able to fight him now.

"It's okay. _I'll see you later tonight_," her brother muttered softly to her. She only nodded. Osiris watched them both leave, and he went back to the book he was studying. Isis was giggling to him mentally, and he was applauding her for well-done performance. They both agreed to have a drone wearing Lynette's form be the one to take Sakuma to the submarine. That wouldn't happen until later in the night.


	33. Chapter 33

It was past midnight when the drone bearing Lynette's form approached Sakuma. Osiris and Isis were busy making up for a lot of lost time on being apart. Sakuma woke to the sound of a tap at his door, and he was there quickly to find the drone there.

"I need to show you what I saw," the drone whispered with a small swallow. "I know John is sleeping now. If we go now, we can make it back in the morning."

"Are you sure?" he whispered back. He dressed quickly. He needed to see what was bothering his sister at long last. She nodded and gestured to a motorcycle that was parked nearby. Now Sakuma blinked at her like she was crazy. Once again, Lynette was known for making bizarre choices on occasion. "Hikari, the bike will be too loud! Do you want to wake everyone up?! Don't you have a quieter way?"

"Um…I don't know…" the drone winced. Sakuma worried his lower lip and had her take him to the garage. The only car there was the limousine.

"Ugh. Okay. We'll work with the bike, I guess. You have the keys?" he asked, as they went back over to it. The drone nodded and pulled them out. He started the engine and tried hard to keep the noise down. It wasn't a heavy bike, but it still revved up pretty hard. Osiris and Isis just chuckled to each other at the sound of the bike leaving and pulled each other into another passionate round of sex.

"Okay, I know where we have to go. I can drive it," the drone said. He managed to let the drone drive the motorcycle and take them to the docks. She went up to the Captain drone and said, "My name is Lynette Hamamoto. I was given orders by Commander John Murlow to bring my brother to the base below."

"Proof?" the Captain drone asked. The Lynette drone pulled out a false document that was briefly looked over. It was all for show. "Okay. Go in. We'll leave now."

"How did they know to see us?" Sakuma asked.

"Um…I was able to call ahead. Sometimes, John makes unusual visits here. It's…like a routine check-up. All these guys do is take us there. That's it. They don't know anything else," the Lynette drone sighed. "I'd say something, but they might over-hear us."

"It's fine. How long is the ride?" he asked.

"About thirty minutes," the drone nodded. They chatted lightly in Japanese about how the family was and outlining areas. It was all information the hive mind absorbed for future use, anyways. The drone was prompted by Agatha to ask about prime locations and if they changed. All of the answers were readily given, and new ideas of where to put breeders were set into motion. They were given food and drink to tide them over. Of course, the drone did eat and drink, but would purge it out later when it was safe to do so.

"We are approaching!" a drone deck-hand reported to them. They got ready to leave the submarine. Sakuma glanced over at the drone bearing his sister's form, and it looked rather nervous. Now was the time to up the acting.

"We should go!" the drone whispered. "We should turn back! It's just not safe!"

"Nonsense, Hikari! I'll see what you wanted me to see. I'll judge it," he said.

"But…we could both die…"

"I won't let that happen."

"I couldn't…say anything…but…"

"What?"

"This project…it's about the Blacklight Virus…"

"What?!" he gaped at her.

"We…we can't go in there! We just can't!" the drone wailed, and he grabbed its shoulders to shake lightly in a brotherly way.

"You know I have to know what's going on now!" he said sternly. "Father needs to know! Anything about that project is crucial!"

"But…they want to use me…my DNA…to help what they are making…" it winced.

"Are you serious?!" he seethed.

"Yes. To make a…a breeding female of it…to make cures…I think…"

"Those fucking sons of bitches! I'll kill them all!" he snarled. "No one touches you!"

The moment the submarine door open, he charged into the station with a fury. Then he paused in confusion. Alex was standing there in his normal form with his arms crossed over his chest. Robert was there in his military uniform to glare at him. All of the new breeder males were there, too, with drones from varying sides.

"Good job. Go help in the kitchen. We have it from here," Alex nodded.

"Yes, my King and Emperor," the drone of Lynette said and dropped the guise. Sakuma's jaw dropped with horror at the lesser drone of Kim, but with it was from a breeder couple from the blond hair.

"Welcome to my home. I have a few things to ask you and discuss. If you go against me, you will die," Alex said bluntly. "And, before you ask, I'm Project Zeus."

"My sister…" Sakuma said with despair.

"She's dead," Alex said with a light shrug. "Her body was taken over, and that was the one you met first. Her DNA was not needed, though. Just her body and form. Same with John's. As to why, well, they betrayed Robert."

"Yeah. Me," Robert sighed. "They spied on me in my own home."

"My sister…wasn't a part of…" Sakuma grieved as tears fell. Any nerves he had were gone at the knowledge that his sister was dead. She was his best friend and his strength to continue living. He had nothing now that she was gone.

"Ah, fuck. He's a crier," Alex snorted. "Grow a set of balls!"

"Fuck you," Robert muttered. "Let him be. Give him some time to recover. Some of us _are_ still human here, you know."

"Unfortunately," Alex grumbled and sped off to see to Agatha.

"He's a fuck head. Anyways, yes. She's gone. As much as I wouldn't have preferred it, there was no choice. She saw too much and would have been in the way," Robert sighed.

"And me…" Sakuma swallowed. "Am I to die, too?"

"You don't have to," he said with a slight smile. "If you follow me, I'll explain a few things to you, okay? But, if you decide it's not for you, you will die."

"Hikari…I promised to protect her…I…" Sakuma shivered.

"The moment she partnered with John, she was dead. You knew this, too."

"I kept trying to convince her to come home. To leave America. To…"

"I know," Robert nodded. "John's body was taken over, too. He is now used by us."

"For what purpose?"

"Global domination."

"What?"

"It's…a pretty long tale."

"Fine. Tell me what you can," Sakuma trembled. It wasn't like he had a choice, anyways. They all knew it.


	34. Chapter 34

It took three hours for everything to sink in. Sakuma was simply horrified at the project that John was funding under everyone's noses. It sickened him even more that his sister was supposed to have been the female strain for Agatha. When the other men came into the confinement room he was in, they told him how they got there. Everything was laid bare to him now. He was still hurting over the death of his sister, and they all knew it. They were very careful with how they said everything to try to keep him calm and focused.

"Now you know everything," Robert nodded. He was sitting across from him at a small table in the room. "And now…you know that you have choice."

"Join you or die," Sakuma shivered. "To ally with killers of my sister? To shame my family by going against them? To know that I would help bring the world to its knees? I should say no. I should say to kill me now. But…"

"But?" Robert asked.

"Tell me. What was the real reason that John wanted Hikari for?" he asked.

"If you want to know," Robert said carefully. "Your family is involved rather deeply with highly technical warfare. She was his link to that."

"I fucking knew it…!" Sakuma hissed. "He was probably fucking her on the side, too!"

"He was," Robert nodded.

"For all it's worth, I'm glad he got killed by the same project he created," he said with a trembling form of rage. "I'm still at a loss on my decision."

"If you show us neutrality, I can introduce you to Project Hera. Her name is Agatha."

"She is here?"

"Yes. And guarded to the teeth. She also has ways to defend herself, too. Also, her blood is a cure for the infections that go around on the island. In fact, I haven't even gotten sick, now that I think about it. Anyways, if you want to meet her, I can escort you to her with a couple of my sons," Robert nodded. "If they are busy, it may be the drones."

"Okay. She cannot come here?" Sakuma asked as he rose up.

"She's very pregnant right now. She can't move much," Robert chuckled. "Come along. Just keep your temper down, okay?"

"Of course," Sakuma nodded. Robert calmly led him out of the room, and several drones appeared to follow them. Various drones were easily guarding every hallway and room entrance. They never shifted out in cycles. They never needed to sleep. As they approached Agatha's section with the meat locker, Robert turned as his attention was caught.

"Father!" Hermes said as he jogged over. Sakuma gaped in shock at what this breeder male looked like. He appeared to have been made from Japanese manga!

"Hermes? What's up?" he asked.

"Are you going to see Mother?" Hermes asked.

"I was with Sakuma. Why? Is something wrong?" Robert asked.

"Wait ten minutes. She went into labor," he winced. "Is your room ready?"

"Oh! Yeah, it is. Nick should be able to help," Robert nodded. "Why didn't the drones tell me? Oh. They're pretty focused on him, huh?"

"Yeah. Mother wanted me to make sure I told you. Rhea is almost a toddler, though. You should swing by and see her when you can!" Hermes grinned.

"I'll make plans to!" Robert chuckled. "How's Carlos?"

"He's offering to play as baby-sitter as needed. It really isn't, but if he's going to be her stud, it would be best that she knows who he is. It's for the best," he shrugged.

"Rhea?" Sakuma asked.

"My daughter. She was born yesterday, and she's a full-blooded Queen," Hermes nodded. "She grows a year in a day."

"What?!" Sakuma gaped at this news. "I mean…I was told about breeders and stud males, but…a full Queen?"

"If you decide to help make Queens and Kings, a special female will be birthed for you by Agatha. She's the only one that can do this," Robert said. "It's how Dana got Hermes, as well as Ragland with Hariti. Only Agatha can create the specialty breeders needed."

"I see. And the studs can help the Queens create viable breeders," Sakura said as he pieced it together. "So…you would see me as a stud? Or as one to create Kings and Queens?"

"If you join us, that choice would be for you. Queens and Kings are going to be exceptionally rare, since only one at a time can be made. Breeders are the next uncommonly found, due to them being less in creation. Drones are the main meat and backbone. You can find them everywhere," Robert said. "But, now I have to ask. What do you see yourself being?"

"I still don't know. I would be siding with those that killed my sister…" Sakuma frowned. "It…still hurts to think about it."

"How has your family treated you?" Hermes asked now.

"Not very well. They sort of pushed me aside when I still wanted to speak with my sister. As much as they love her, they disregarded her while she was on American soil. If she came back to Japan, it would have been as though nothing was wrong. She was regarded as someone that simply wasn't spoken of at meals or gatherings. It was as though she was already dead. When I tried to speak of her, I would get glares and harsh warnings."

"And when you decided to come here? Does your family know that you are here?" Robert asked. "Or…did you come over in secret?"

"As if my family would have let another of us come here! I snuck over. I bought my own ticket with my own funds. They have no idea. All I said was that I was going on an outing with a few friends. That usually means a hiking trip for a few days. I was supposed to go back to them in the next day or two. If I don't appear, they will look for me," Sakuma winced.

"We can fix that with a drone taking some of your blood," Hermes nodded. "We can send in a replacement."

"You'd end up killing my family. Wouldn't you?" he asked.

"There are times that we don't have to. We can stage it to where you can die. A car wreck, or a plane crash, even. You remain here, the drone we send in your place gets destroyed. They've done it before. However, your family does have the links to military secrets and tech that we may need. We would find a way to make it work. We can always take over a few employees using the drone with your form as a means to get into where we have to go. Your memories would be transferred with the blood we get from you. No one would know the difference," Robert shrugged. They stepped aside as drones started to walk past them with the massive breeder eggs. Sakuma stared in complete and absolute shock at them. "Oh, good! My kids were born. Eh, laid, I guess. She births them normally, but they come out like that. In about five to six hours, they'll appear as adults and ready to move."

"Just like that?!" Sakuma said with disbelief.

"Of course. That's the way it is with stud males. With Queens and Kings, it will be one at a time. An actual baby is born, and that's the main difference, you see? There's only ten breeders born as eggs. Almost a hundred of the drones, though. It's fifty at first. Then it builds up with each pregnancy," Robert explained. "Is your Mother free and clear? Or do we have to wait an hour for Alex?"

"My King and Emperor will allow you to visit with her before he's with her," Hermes smiled. "I need to get back to Dana and Rhea. Hopefully, Sakuma, I'll see you around. If not…well…you're a great guy to talk to. It would be a waste to see you get killed."

"Um…thanks…I guess," Sakuma frowned. He watched the breeder male leave, and he was deep in thought. It was just like he was talking to one of his brothers. It made an odd feeling go through him. He did feel out of place with his family when his sister left. And, with these creatures, he could still be with her if they had her face, form and memories. He was perfectly relaxed with that one drone that had her form. Even with Isis. They knew just how to act like her. It was as though she was still alive and talking to him as she normally would. On this realization, he knew what his answer would be.

"Come on. You can meet with Agatha," Robert smiled lightly. Sakuma nodded and he followed the older man. At the sight of the meat locker, he paled a bit at the various meats it held, but he continued to follow. When he went into the lavishly done room, he paused with complete surprise at the inhuman beauty in the bed.

"Oh! You must be Sakuma," Agatha smiled softly. "I am Project Hera. A pleasure to meet with you. Do you need to sit down?"

"I may have to…" the young man blinked. A chair was brought over for him by Kim, and he found himself sitting down. Alex was giving a mild glare at him from where he reclined on the bed. Agatha was leaning into him. When Sakuma took in the surroundings, he paused at the sight of the massive tentacle that was just off to his right and filled with dozens of nearly formed eggs. His heart started to pound with a form of amazement and fear.

"Those are drones. I keep the breeders in my room," Robert chuckled. "Hello, asshole! Sorry to cock block you, but Sakuma needed to visit her."

"Fuck you, dipshit!" Alex snorted. Since Agatha wasn't pregnant, she could tolerate the bickering again. She gave each of them a look to get them grinning mischievously at her.

"Both of you need to grow the fuck up!" she smirked to get them laughing. "Fucking morons, I swear! Sorry. The kids in the room can't seem to take a hint unless I'm carrying eggs. Immature little fuckwads, aren't they?"

"Hey…" Robert frowned. Alex bit down his own laugh and let her lean into him a bit more. That actually had Sakuma smile a little. She sighed and shook her head.

"I…did come to a decision, actually," Sakuma started.

"Oh?" Alex asked with a small glare.

"Just ignore him. He's an asshole," Robert said with a light nudge.

"Fuck off," Alex growled.

"Will both of you _please_ shut the fuck up and let him talk?!" Agatha scowled.

"Sorry," Alex said. "He started it, though."

"My bad," Robert muttered.

"As you were saying?" Agatha said with a soft chuckle.

"I…would like to join with you, but…" Sakuma frowned. "I want to stay with the one that has my sister's face and form. The original one."

"With Osiris and Isis?" Robert frowned.

"So, a drone won't work?" Alex asked.

"I'm sure it would, but…this way it would seem like I'm still with my sister. I can help protect her. I promised I always would. Even though her spirit is gone…I just…" Sakuma swallowed. "I just need to be near her, somehow. In some way."

"Hmm…" Agatha mused. "I doubt a breeder can take a stud. It hasn't been tried, though. What do you think?"

"I doubt it would work. He could possibly live with them, but he would either need to be a stud to a Queen, or he would have to help make Queens and Kings. If he does either, it's best for him to remain here. I doubt that Osiris or Isis would want to leave where they are," Alex said. "But, now comes the question. Would you want to make Queens and Kings? Or be a stud male for a Queen?"

"I think I would rather make a new generation than help be a part of it," Sakuma said.

"So, you want to make Queens and Kings," Robert nodded. "Okay. However, you won't be able to live with Isis or Osiris. We can have the drone that had your sister's face and form here. All of the memories she had will be shared through the drone, too."

"Oh!" Sakuma blinked. "I…I guess that could work."

"That reminds me," Agatha sighed. "Alex, apparently it was the sperm made for you that triggered the need for the special breeders. Only you can help me make them."

"You're right," Alex nodded. Then he gave a mild glare at Robert to show he was superior. He scowled at the pinch Agatha gave him to snap him out of it.

"Ragland knows now from Hariti. He'll get another batch ready," she smiled. "Sakuma, if you go to the lab, you will get an injection of my blood to free you of any infections and illnesses. Then a room will be granted to you to help you stay here. Please give over some blood so that we can get a clone made of you to take your place in society."

"Thank you," he said, and he bowed to her with respect. "Ah, my suitcase and things…"

"When we get to Japan, any of your belongings will be sent to you. You can help us find out where the safest places could be to start gaining a foothold there. Isis will also send your suitcase down that you brought out with you. We also want to see about getting some Wagyu beef cattle down here," she chuckled.

"Now I'm glad I'm staying here," Sakuma found himself laughing. "Wagyu beef is a weakness of mine. Ah, can you speak Japanese? If not, I could try to teach you."

"_There is no need to teach me. From your sister's memories, I know how_," Agatha said with a perfect accent and quite fluent. "Also, when a female is made for you, I will need you here to bond with the egg when it's ready to form. You'll figure it out when it happens. Likely not until I'm with Robert again. He's my stud male, you see."

"Can you accept other studs?" Sakuma asked.

"No!" Robert snapped quickly. That got Alex rather intrigued. Robert was jealous. "If you become a stud, you can't make Queens or Kings."

"Ah," Sakuma nodded and wisely backed down. "I'll go to the lab."

"The drones will lead you," Robert nodded. When he left, Alex grinned ruefully at Robert. "And you can shut the fuck up!"

"Don't like the competition?" Alex kept grinning.

"You don't, either," Robert smirked. That got him rewarded with a dirty look.

"Robert, go check on Rhea. Alex needs to fuck me to help me feel better," Agatha said lightly. He managed to nod and left rather stiffly.

"One stud to a Queen?" Alex mused.

"As Empress, I should get two, but I don't want that," she admitted. "I'd feel like I was just…giving myself over to another…"

"Hera…" he whispered and moved to hug her shivering form. "No one else deserves to touch you. You are not a toy. You are not a whore. You are my mate. The mother of a vast army. If anyone else wants to touch you, they have to go through _me_ first!"

"Zeus…" she sighed with comfort as he cradled her. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Hera…" he whispered hoarsely. She looked at him and they kissed fiercely. This was the first time he openly told her he loved her. It made the next hour of mating seem that much more intimate between them both.


	35. Chapter 35

It was another day and a half that went by when Steve and Sakuma were called over to Agatha. It was time for them to bond with the breeder eggs in her body.

"Sakuma, I need you to press your hand here," Agatha said, as she pointed to the top of her belly. "And, um, Steve, press here."

She pointed to the base of her belly for him. A sharp gasp escaped her from the intense pressures that were done to cement the bond to them. Alex supported her and kept watch on the two humans to ensure that nothing went wrong. The moment the pain eased up, she sighed with relief and slunk back into the pillows.

"That's all it took?" Steve asked.

"Yes. When she births the eggs, we'll get you. Go shovel more cow shit in the meantime," Alex mumbled. Steve seemed to scowl, but he nodded all the same. It was one of his chores. As they left the room, Sakuma looked at Steve.

"What?" he asked.

"You let him talk to you like that?" Sakuma frowned.

"It's best to just let him do what he likes. Stay out of his way and you live longer. Trust me in this. Granted, they see us a bit as their pets. But, when I start making Kings and Queens for them, I'll have a bit more respect. I'll be helping them make special kids. It's partly why I wanted to do it. He'll give you some leeway, too, when your girl is with you. If it wasn't for Geb and Sekhmet, I'd be dead, as it is."

"As you told me," Sakuma nodded. "There is one thing that I am worried about."

"What's that?" Steve asked, as they sat in the mess room. They were able to order what they wanted, and they continued to talk as they waited.

"I was told that the girl destined for me may appear to be what my subconscious holds. I think my destined girl may resemble my sister," he said with a sigh. "It's not that I desired her at all. It's just…she is the only thing on my mind now."

"Hey, guys! I couldn't help myself when I overheard what you guys were talking about through my drones. So, I'd like to help you out," Dionysus grinned as he sat down. "I'm Dionysus, by the way. I talked to Dana, too, before she met Hermes. Sakuma, what you are talking about, with your sister possibly being a strong resemblance, well, you may be right. You may also be wrong. The one that will be for you would look like a girl you always wanted to be with. Granted, I sleep with my sister. We were bound since the womb. So, sleeping with your sister isn't frowned on at all here! But, I can understand what you're thinking."

"But, that's my problem. I never really wanted to be in a relationship before. One of my brothers is into other guys, but I was always into girls. I just never really had a specialized preference. My sister was my best friend. We always talked about everything. It's why I was so upset…when I learned…" he shivered.

"Best not let your brother know about us. He won't be useful," Dionysus shrugged. "Anyways, the only way to know is to wait and find out, right?"

"True. But…if she does resemble my sister…" Sakuma sighed.

"You took Mother's blood. Everyone is practically made up of her blood, or they have it in her system. We are all related. As Father has said, and I quote, 'We are one giant, red-neck, viral family!' You may as well get used to it," Dionysus smirked. Steve groaned and started to laugh at it. Sakuma put his palm on his face and shook his head. Then he thought and decided to ask a question that was bothering him.

"Dionysus," Sakuma started. "There was something your father got offended at when I asked. It won't happen, since I want to make Queens and Kings, but I am curious."

"Hmm? Oh! With the whole extra stud with Mother? Stop your thoughts right now and get rid of them. Think of it this way. One stud to one Queen. Period. There would be way too much rivalry that can happen. It's safer and easier to work with. One stud and one mate. Granted, Mother could have two studs from how special she is, but why? When she was to come back after killing my King and Emperor, she was going to be used by every man on this station. She was going to become a simple sex toy. Then dismantled and her very bodily essence would have been distributed to the highest bidders. Just the thought of her being used by another…it hurt her badly," Dionysus frowned. Steve could only nod at how understanding that could be.

"I see," Sakuma nodded. "Would I need a stud male for my destined girl?"

"No. She's a hundred percent yours only. If Hermes learned that Dana needed another man, he'd be livid! So, don't worry about that. You don't share your girl with anyone else. There will be no need to," the breeder male nodded.

"Good," Sakuma smiled.

"It's also why I wanted to make Kings and Queens. I don't need to share," Steve chuckled. "I'm happy knowing that I get a girl that will just want to be with me."

"How fast will they want to start being with me?" Sakuma asked.

"Hermes was ready the moment he hatched. It was the same with all of us. However, it took Dana some time to accept him. It's best to get to know your girl. Talk to her. Understand where she's at. Hermes was a horny bastard when he got to Dana! It was kinda funny! Oh, shit!" Dionysus cringed when Hermes charged at him.

"You're every much the horny bastard, too!" Hermes snorted. "Don't deny it!"

"Oh, come on! Osiris and Isis make Athena and I look like we're playing pretend!" Dionysus scowled. "They'd stop and fuck in a public park if the mood hit them!"

"Okay, you win this argument," Hermes nodded. "Just admit it. You're also a horny bastard, too. Then I'll leave."

"Please!" Dionysus muttered. Then he paused at a mental image that Athena sent him. He pursed his lips together before working his teeth over them. "Athena is a very craft bitch when she's horny as hell. I gotta go."

"So, you are a horny bastard?" Hermes grinned wickedly.

"As of right now, yes," Dionysus nodded and left the room to find his mate.

"In case neither of you noticed, I'm the asshole of the group! Dionysus seems to forget that. I simply had to come over here to prove it and earn my keep!" Hermes grinned and winked. Then he left to join Dana and his daughter. Steve and Sakuma looked at each other and busted up laughing at what they just witnessed. After their food was served, it took them a bit of time to calm down just to eat their meals. They were still snickering and coughing down laughter when they retired to their rooms to wait out the next few hours.


	36. Chapter 36

When the eggs were ready to be birthed, Sakuma and Steve were summoned quickly. They were told to wait until Agatha was done giving birth. Alex refused to let anyone into the room until she was done. Hermes, Dionysus and Apollo were there to see what the new breeder females would look like. When they knew it was clear, the breeder males gestured to the men to follow them in. Dionysus did give them one simple order.

"Speak when spoken to," he muttered. "Mother is weak. My King and Emperor is on guard. He won't hesitate to slaughter either of you right now."

They both swallowed and nodded. Nick and Kim was standing along the back wall to watch them carefully. The special breeder eggs would be stored in the room under Agatha's watchful guard. When the eggs were revealed, Steve blinked at what he knew was going to be his girl. He was amazed that she resembled a sleeping teenager with sun-blond hair. She also appeared to have a soft speckling of freckles. She could have resembled a country girl through and through. There wasn't much else he could make out until she hatched.

Sakuma could only gaze in wonder at the sleeping Oriental beauty in her egg. Her hair was incredibly long and pitch black in color. Her skin was the color of alabaster, and her figure looked incredibly slender. She almost appeared to be one of those ancient Japanese dolls of women holding their fans and umbrellas in her build. She also appeared to have a slight Anime twist with the way her face was so gracefully slender. She looked nothing like his sister.

"A very interesting set of breeder females," Alex mused. "Good job."

"Thanks," Steve muttered.

"Amazing…" Sakuma said with a deep breath of fascination.

"They'll be moving about in about five hours. Possibly six," Hermes nodded. "We let them pick their own names, just so you know. They tend to go off of names of gods and goddesses. Like the rest of us."

"So, that explains it," Steve thought.

"Yes. Project Zeus and Project Hera. It would make sense," Robert nodded. "Not much else to do for now. Just head back to your rooms and take it easy."

"Sakuma, I would like to speak with you," Agatha said. Alex helped her sit up, and Sakuma stayed while Steve was shown the door with the breeder males. When he was alone with Alex, Robert and her, he looked at her with interest. "As you know, your family has various technical weapons and development at their fingertips. Our drone of you has made it back to Japan and has taken over your old routines. It was able to bring over my children, Demeter and Hephaestus, too. They are now settled in the outskirts of Tokyo. There is some population, but not by much."

"How did they fit in?" Sakuma asked.

"Homeless people are abundant there," Alex snorted. "They just had to pick and choose. Then the drone made them false identities to get a home. After that, it was done. They already started to move their drones into the city. Several of my drones swam out to meet them. As you know, I can't tolerate water. My drones with Agatha can withstand it easily. It's how you can eat the fish they bring in. We are going to start taking over various employees of the workplace. What we want to ask you is, do you know their shifts?"

"Wait…" Sakuma frowned. "Many of these men have families, too. Not all of them are single workers. There is one man that I know of who is single and over-sees all of the scheduling. Ah…damn! When does he work again…"

"We'll find out," Alex muttered. "Agatha? Are you all right?"

"I'm just…tired…" she sighed. Now Alex was alarmed. This was new. Looking at the others in the room, his glare had them leave quickly. When they were alone, he pulled her up to him and hugged her close.

"Hera, what is it?" he whispered.

"Is it possible…that I could feel a bit…worn out?" she trembled. "As though I feel like my duty is done? I…feel like I have…nothing left…"

"No!" Alex hissed and thought to a drone. Ragland was quickly brought in to evaluate her condition. He was able to get a shot of her blood to examine.

"I'll be as quick as I can," he said gently. Alex watched him leave, and he continued to cradle his mate close. She was starting to get listless. Something was clearly wrong.

"Mother!" Apollo shouted as he ran in.

"Mother! No!" Hermes gasped when he charged back in. Dionysus was in next with his own intense show of worry. Now Alex glared at them all with a look for explanation.

"Mother…feels that her job is done giving eggs," Apollo swallowed. "If she does, she will have no purpose. She needs to feel that this is important to her!"

"Now that Rhea is born, she feels that she can step down. If she does, I fear for the worst," Hermes said. "Mother, we need you! We can't create the breeding males or females for our Kings and Queens! If you deteriorate, I'll miss you, too."

"Mother, you are the Empress. Without you, we have nothing," Dionysus said gently.

"So…I am still needed?" she asked softly.

"You are always needed. Not only for them, but for me," Alex said with a gentleness he only exposed for her. The kiss he gave her next helped revitalize her thoughts, but her body was still showing signs of weakness.

"I still feel so weak…" she shivered.

"I'm back!" Ragland said when he returned. "I found the problem."

"What is it?" Alex asked.

"Her cells are aging. She's getting older. There is a way to reverse it, but we will need the cells of her that were frozen. We have over a hundred of them. We will need to make more," Ragland said. "Think of one cell being like a fountain of youth to her. However, Dana may need to give over her female strand of DNA again. I can get enough from her to freeze and keep as an emergency back-up."

"She'll do it," Hermes said when he thought to his mate.

"I want to work on those cells myself," Alex said. "How many will be needed?"

"Just one. It will completely revitalize her. We may need to do this once to twice a year. Maybe more, if she starts to feel weak again."

"I'm glad I didn't destroy those cells," Alex muttered. "Let me talk to her alone."

"I'll be in the lab," Ragland nodded. Her sons were able to hug their mother before they left. When it was the two of them again, Alex kissed her hard.

"So…it's because of old age?" she frowned.

"You've been giving birth so often that you feel worn out. I wonder if you'll be a virgin again," he grinned. Then he thought of something and winced. "I just remembered. I'll have to fuck you right away after your body mends itself. I'll have to reclaim you as my mate."

"Do you think so?" she asked.

"It's highly possible. This also means that you'll give out less drones again. It's as though you hit your peak of drone making before everything shuts down. I'll have a lot of your extra cells made. You can count on that."

"How long has it been? A few months?" she thought.

"Yes. About that long. Maybe three. Hard to tell down here," he frowned. "Let me get the cell for you. I'll inject that first. Then I'll give you Dana's DNA. I'll fuck you with everything I have after that. You have my word."

"Okay," she smiled, and he gave her a branding kiss before leaving her side. Robin was barring the door from all but Alex now. It was a precaution that had to be done. When he got to the lab, he went to find her cells first. One was carefully selected and set up in a specialized solution for injection. Ragland had just finished a prep shot with DNA from Dana.

"Here you go," the doctor nodded. "Hariti hopes it works. She's very concerned, too."

"Well, if your diagnosis is right, then there will be no issues," Alex nodded. "Thanks."

"Of course," Ragland nodded. "It's thanks to you and her that I have the woman of my dreams! I'll do whatever I can to help Agatha pull through."

Alex nodded and they shook hands. Then he said, "Oh. Make sure those cells are completely secured! I want nobody to fucking touch them!"

"Loud and clear!" Ragland nodded sternly. "You will be the only one allowed."

"Good," Alex grounded out. He took the two precious shots and went back into the bedroom. What he saw on the bed had him gaping with disbelief. Agatha was literally starting to fall apart from how her skin was starting to sag off of her. She was aging rapidly now. At her glance of complete distress, it snapped him out of it. He took out the needle with her cell and jabbed it into her gut to give it to her. She cried out from the pain of it, and fell back on the pillows when the injection was complete.

Very slowly, her body began to reform. That single fresh cell spread like a wildfire within her. He actually felt a touch of pain from being close to her again, and he gasped. He had to evolve to be around her again like this, but he knew it would just be this once. In a sense, she was freshly born whole again. Her other kids and drones would be fine, as they came straight from her, but he had to get strong around her again.

"Zeus?!" she whispered, as he appeared to be in pain.

"I'm fine…" he hissed out. His body quickly overpowered the pain and evolved to be stronger around her. Another deep breath was given with a nod. "The new cell gave you back your ability to hurt me, but not by much. It was more like a stinging sensation. I'm better, though. I evolved again to be with you. I doubt it will happen again."

"I hope not," she sighed. When she saw the shot with Dana's DNA, she nodded. "Okay. Give me the shot. I don't know how I'll be, though."

"I know," he said. He gave her the injection and set both empty needles aside. Right after that, before she had a chance to move from his side, he slid over her and coated himself over her skin. He had to do it in this instinctive way to reclaim her. Even at her shout of pain when he took her again, he simply let his body do what needed to be done. For a solid hour, he seeded her to prove that she was his. That no one else could claim her.

"Zeus…" she whispered, and he kissed her when he reformed next to her.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"I'm fucking starving!" she growled. At the large grin he gave her now, she giggled at him and got caught up in his hug. His mate was back. A kiss was pressed to her forehead, and she watched him leave to start bringing in some food for her. The next few hours were dedicated completely to her recovery.


	37. Chapter 37

It was getting close for the breeder females to hatch. Steve and Sakuma were nervous. They weren't sure what to expect. They were told to wait in an area fashioned to be like a lounge. Karl and Carlos were there, too. They were just as curious as to what these new breeder girls were going to be like. At the same time, they were both a touch jealous.

"Man, I wouldn't mind having a girl of my own," Karl frowned.

"Same thing, here," Carlos nodded. "But, I'm all right with the path given to me. I'll be protected and proving my worth. I'll do what I can to stay alive."

"It's all we can do," Steve shrugged.

"It will seem strange. I mean…they will be newborns!" Sakuma frowned. One of the drones for Dionysus was listening in, and the breeder male showed up quickly. At his smile and wave, Steve and Sakuma waved back.

"Pep talk time!" Dionysus grinned.

"Is Hermes around?" Steve grinned back at him.

"He's busy with Rhea," Dionysus smirked. "Like I said, I talked to Dana, too. Just think of the girls as blind dates coming in from out of town. They won't look like newborns. Hell, they may be just as horny as Hermes was! And they'll never cheat on you, either. They were both made for each of you. Just keep that in mind."

"I know," Sakuma nodded. "I honestly had no clue as to what my subconscious had in store for me. It's like…I'm completely amazed!"

"Does she look like a newborn?" Dionysus asked.

"Far from it," he admitted.

"How much longer do we have to wait?" Steve asked.

"Another ten minutes. They're, ah, freshening up," the breeder male chuckled.

"They already hatched?!" Karl blinked.

"Yep!" Dionysus grinned. "They're just getting dressed now, choosing names for themselves, getting acquainted with Mother, Father and my King and Emperor…the usual stuff."

"Okay," Sakuma said with a nervous smile. In Agatha's bedroom, the breeder females had dressed and were fixing their hair up. Steve's destined female had long, blond hair that would look cute up in pig-tails, but she had her hair bound back in a tight pony-tail for now. Her lightly rounded, freckled face had a rather adorable country look, and her pastel blue eyes were the high-light over her slightly upturned, tapered nose. She had full lips, a rather curvaceous, yet fit physique, and she had a rather chirpy tone.

"Do you have a name?" Agatha smiled.

"Yes, Mother! Um, I chose Amunet. He could call me Amanda, too," she giggled. "To make it better, if he wants to. It would seem similar."

"That it does," Robert chuckled.

"And you?" Alex asked when he looked over at Sakuma's female. She was just like Agatha in a perfection of Oriental beauty. Pale, marble skin gave her a look of otherworldly grace, and long, pitch black hair was done up in a loose bun. Her steel-grey eyes accented her round, yet narrow face with a form of authority and a touch of gentle disposition. Her lips were thin, yet full in the center. Her figure was slender, but she had a generously proportioned set of hips and breasts. She was another Manga figure in that aspect.

"I have," she said in a rather soft tone. "I choose Amaterasu as my name."

"Very pretty," Robert chuckled.

"The Japanese goddess of beauty. It suits you," Agatha smiled with a nod.

"Thank you, Mother," Amaterasu blushed delicately. Amunet had dressed in a crop top and shorts to compliment her figure. Amaterasu had chosen a light gown with a robe over it. Now that they were dressed and presentable, the drones led them to the lounge room. Dionysus got the mental note, greeted his new sisters first with a soft, brotherly hug and left the area. Amunet walked in first, and Steve's jaw dropped.

"Hi! I'm Amunet! You can call me Amanda, too, okay?" she giggled.

"Wow…ah…um…" Steve blinked. Karl whistled softly, and Carlos ran a hand over his face at the female that walked into the room. Then their jaws dropped when Amaterasu walked in. For some reason, Steve had no eyes for her. Amunet had clearly claimed his heart instantly.

"I am Amaterasu. I give you greetings," the Oriental beauty whispered. Sakuma swallowed and rose up nervously. He would kill anyone that touched her. He knew this now. Glancing at the other two men in the room that were staring with disbelief at his new wife, he gave out a growl that he never had before. Steve was clear. He had no interest at all.

"My room. Now," Sakuma muttered. Amaterasu chuckled, nodded and followed him out. Steve made an odd sound to Amunet, and she rewarded him with a tittering giggle of bouncy laughter. Steve and Amunet had no problems cementing their bond. Sakuma was struggling with himself, and Amaterasu could only understand his problem.

"I am made for you. This is what you wanted. Am I…not good enough?" she frowned.

"No! You're perfect. Too perfect! I just…I don't know what to think…" Sakuma trembled. "I don't know what to do…"

"We can talk," she said gently and sat on the bed. Her soft patting for him to sit with her was enough coaxing for him. "I will have whatever disposition you want me to have. Isis can easily give me the memories of your lost sister, too. I can have her mindset."

"You can?!" Sakuma asked with disbelief.

"Oh, yes," Amaterasu chuckled with a soft nod. "If you want me to be a badass bitch, I can do that, too. Or, I could be a timid little flower for you to protect."

"I just…I want you to be yourself. To choose your own personality. I don't want to control you. I just…" he sighed. "I want you to find yourself."

"And I will. With you," she whispered. He looked at her with a form of despair, and they kissed passionately. This was his wife. His new mate. As much as he hated to admit it, he was glad that his sister left for America now. He would never have met this wonderful female. He would have been constantly searching for his true match. His family would be in complete shock if they saw her. He already knew that he had no plans to show off. She was his treasure. His own personal secret. He would guard her with everything he had.

"My family…would never believe me…if they heard about you…" he muttered through the kiss. "They would be…shocked…stunned…"

"If they tried…to tear you from me…I'll tear them apart!" she seethed. He looked at her now with a touch of a wicked smile. She echoed that smile. They were fully bonded now, and, like Steve and Amunet, they were quick to cement it. However, back in the lounge area, there were two men that were clearly not happy with their situation now.

"I know I said that I was happy with my station. Now I take it back," Carlos growled.

"Those girls are just…they were perfect!" Karl grimaced. "And we'll be forced to share one? I mean…fuck…"

"So, you don't want to be a stud male for my daughter?" Hermes asked as he walked in. Dionysus was with him. "I thought you were happy with that. Granted, the new females you saw were beautiful. But, they were based on their subconscious thoughts. My daughter's beauty will surpass theirs. All Queens will have beauty as great as Mother's beauty. My daughter is already revealing that beauty. In about two weeks, she'll be an adult. She's a toddler right now. So, ask yourself this. Do you want to wait two days for a girl of your own? One that will give you one child at a time? Or do you want to help in two weeks from now with a girl that will give you an army of children every other day? You may as well decide now."

"It's just…a girl isn't even born for me, yet," Karl started.

"Yet. Ragland's mate, Hariti, is pregnant with a female. I'm starting to think that only Queens can be birthed. Kings will be made from Mother. That's how it's starting to look. You have about six days for Hariti to give birth. Then eighteen days for her daughter to grow up. Sometimes, as they say, it's worth the wait. What do you think?" Dionysus said.

"It's hard to think about. It's hard to wait, too," Carlos admitted. At the sight of Apollo walking in, Dionysus and Hermes were a bit surprised. Being a form of commanding authority at being the very first born and hatched, he was taking matters into his own hands.

"Hermes, go to Dana and your daughter. They want you. Dionysus, go back to Athena, she's ready to give birth. The two of you are stud males. Stick to it. It's worth the wait. If you want females of your own, you'll need to talk to Father and our King and Emperor. I doubt he'll agree to your terms, but you can try. Good luck," Apollo said bluntly.

"Kill joy," Hermes muttered.

"Shut the fuck up and go to your family!" Apollo snapped. Now Dionysus looked at him with shock. Apollo was never one to swear.

"Who died and made you the boss?" Dionysus asked.

"Father told me to bring order here. Our King and Emperor has agreed with him. As the oldest, I'm putting in _my_ keep! Don't fuck with me! Go!" Apollo ordered again. "And you two are needed to help in the kitchen. Kim wants to teach you both some cooking techniques."

When Carlos was about to argue, he remembered something that Steve said. Listen and obey. He would live longer. With a small nod of defeat, the two humans left the room, and the others dispersed back to their rooms.


	38. Chapter 38

Alex was amused at what Apollo did. Even Robert was grinning a bit wickedly.

"Looks like Apollo grew a set of balls," Alex smirked.

"About time one of them did," Robert agreed. They were walking down a hall towards the cloning chambers to check on the new clones. "So, what's the plan?"

"Osiris is sending in a group of military jar-heads. These are the ones with the massive egos and think that nothing can go wrong," Alex grinned. "I want all of those fuckers to die."

"No breeding studs?" Robert asked.

"I don't need those egotistic fucks running around here. I'll end up killing them. However, if any do survive and meet Hermanubis and Sigyn, I'll let him make the call. If he thinks the survivors should live and are stud quality, they'll be sent here. If he doesn't like them, he'll kill them. He gained your attitude on the thrill of the hunt, you know. I noticed that. Sigyn also seems to sense weaknesses and plants thoughts in others, too. He wants to stay on the island. Sigyn also gained a taste for human flesh when it's char-broiled in different ways. She says it's like…a hearty beef. I'm not gonna let Agatha have any, though."

"I wouldn't," Robert shivered. "Oh. How is she doing? Agatha? Since the new cell was given to her?"

"It's like I'm starting all over again with drone eggs. Not much of a choice. I do have more cells being made, though. It's why we're here," Alex said, as they reached the chamber. There were several large, glass tubes that were empty for full body reconstruction. There was one pool of water that was somewhat murky with new cells being formed in a special solution. The cells couldn't merge together, but they grew stronger. The best ones would sink to the bottom. Those would be collected through a miniscule sieve. Several of Alex's drones were watching them around the clock.

"What do you do with any defective cells?" Robert asked.

"I destroy them," Alex muttered. "I take no chances."

"Agreed," he nodded. "Do you think you could do the same with the kids?"

"Hmm. I could. I'd need more resources, though. Think of that idea to Osiris, and have one of those drones come over here to talk to me," Alex mused. A drone was quickly sent over to show immense agreement to the idea.

"You will receive vials of blood from all that can give them," the blond-haired drone said. This one resembled Robin with the buff chest for the hammer arms. "Will different tubs be needed for solution baths?"

"Yes. I may need to convert another room," Alex sighed. "I can have two solution baths for males and females. When I have enough cells from that breeder pair, I can start on another set. Of course, the room constructed will be made to hold the cells. I may do the special breeders first. Maybe even Dana and Ragland. Agatha's blood is in them, too. Maybe you, too, Commander. Your own cells could reconstruct you."

"You don't have to call me that," Robert muttered.

"But it's so much fun!" Alex grinned wickedly.

"Fuck you," he smirked. They both grinned now. "When is Agatha due to give birth?"

"Another two hours. It's the new set of breeders, too. I also noticed that the new drones haven't hatched yet. They just started to form. It's as though the wave is restarting itself. Good thing we have plenty out there already. It really is as though she was made completely whole again. I had to reclaim her as my Queen. I did that the moment I was able to."

"Hmm. That has me wonder," Robert thought. He glanced up as Hermes suddenly ran in and braced himself in front of his father.

"Say. Nothing," his son warned.

"What's this about?" Alex growled dangerously.

"My King and Emperor is the only one suited for Mother. You know you won't have a foothold towards her. Neither will any of us," Hermes said sternly.

"You would dare to fucking think that you had a chance with Agatha and her new body?!" Alex seethed. When Hermes shook his head, he gave a small glare for an explanation.

"Not Father," Hermes said. He turned to face Alex with a sigh. "He was thinking one of us. A different male. I belong to Dana. The rest of us are already bonded. We have no need to be with Mother. If another male, like a stud, tries to be with her, I'm sure that you will cut them down. And if Father even gets the mindset to try, I'll stop him with everyone else. You have my word. I'm sure that Mother will fight him off, too."

"Keep me away from Agatha when she needs a new cell," Robert sighed.

"Done," Hermes nodded. "None of us want you hurt, Father. Granted, you and my King and Emperor show signs of neutrality at all times. But, when you think like this…"

"Shut up," Alex muttered. "Before I forget that he's supposed to be my ally."

"Mother wants you both now," Hermes sighed.

"Fuck…" Alex sighed. Robert gave out his own sigh, too.

"Sorry," Hermes said with an apologetic look. "Mother read my thoughts."

"It's fine. Let's go talk to her," Robert nodded. Hermes sped off to see to Dana, and the two of them gave mild glances at each other.

"I will kill you if you try to be with Agatha at any other time," Alex muttered.

"I know," Robert said evenly. They nodded to each other with that mutual understanding. When they got to Agatha's room, she gestured for them both to sit with her on each side of the bed.

"Did you settle your differences?" she asked.

"For now," Alex nodded.

"What he said," Robert smiled.

"I think it's time that you both worked together," she said. "To build trust."

"I trust him just enough to fuck you. Isn't that enough?" Alex frowned.

"No. It isn't," she said.

"Cooking together doesn't count?" Robert frowned.

"Not when you purposely try to burn each other with hot appliances," she growled.

"He handed me a hot pan and didn't give me a potholder!" Robert argued.

"It was a small burn and you healed just fine," Alex said.

"Regardless!" Agatha said to get their attention focused again. "It's time to step this up a notch. I want Robert to help you out when I give birth to the breeders. I want him to help take them from me when I birth them."

"Agatha…" Alex said with a form of shock. He never permitted any others to handle the eggs as they came from her. Only after they were birthed.

"This will build the trust," she said sternly.

"I don't know. I might damage them…" Robert winced.

"You won't," she smiled. "They're your kids, too. You will be fine. Just watch how the first set are delivered. Then take the next set out. Swap that way."

"I can't let him!" Alex hissed.

"Why not?" she frowned. "It's our eggs. He will be careful on removing them from me. I know this for a fact. It will be fine."

"I'll trust him to carry the eggs to the breeder room. I can't let him take them from you," he said with a heavy frown. "It's an…instinct. I can't fight it. I'll be thinking that he will damage you in some way. I know how to remove the eggs. I know how to give them over safely. He can carry them. He hasn't done that yet. I just…can't let him assist in the birthing."

"I see," she said with a soft smile. "All right. I understand."

"I honestly do think that I might damage something," Robert swallowed. "I could never forgive myself if that happened."

"Since you both see eye to eye on this, I will accept your decision. Now you both need to work together again and cook something for me. I'm starving! And don't hurt each other! Apollo has agreed to make sure that it won't happen."

"You are having our son baby-sit us?" Robert asked with disbelief.

"Someone has to do it. Aphrodite just gave birth and will wait for him. He doesn't want to see me get pissed off anymore. None of the kids do. Be glad I'll have him do it instead of Dionysus or Hermes!" she smirked. "They would banter and bitch at you both for all the fuck-ups you do in the kitchen. In fact, they'd probably goad you both into fucking up and losing focus. As much fun as it would be, I'm sure that neither of you want to get pissed off at each other. Then that would just piss me off even more."

"All right. I get it," Robert sighed.

"You're a bitch," Alex said with a grin.

"You know it," she grinned back and kissed him. "Now get me something to eat."

"Fine," he nodded. Right before they were able to walk out the door, Agatha suddenly leaned over the bed and vomited. Alex swore violently at this at first, but then he remembered. She did the same thing with the first breeder set she was pregnant with. She didn't do it at any other time. He knew she was weak and starving now.

"She got sick?!" Robert said with disbelief.

` "First time again with the breeders. Remember?" Alex frowned. "She won't get sick anymore. Get her something. I'll clean this up."

"On it," Robert nodded. A drone was quick to help Alex clean up the illness on the floor. Once again, it was all bile. Ragland was called on just to make sure, and he confirmed that it was just like the first breeder pregnancy. Only after Agatha was eating, tended to and comforted did they see to the next item on the list to tend to. And all of that was happening on the island.


	39. Chapter 39

The platoon that landed on the destined landing site had a vague idea of what to expect. They all looked the same with matching uniforms and gas masks. All that they were told was to retrace the steps that the previous recruits had taken. To find out what went wrong. The Commander drone was very stern and serious about the situation.

"Find out what happened. Get out alive," it told them. "We don't need another slaughter. The hospital may have some clues. Don't get cocky. You may be chewing on your balls if you do. You six were chosen because you were the best in your fields. Don't fuck up. Don't risk yourselves. Be defensive."

As if this group was going to listen to orders like that? They had survived quite a few missions with their bravado and pride. There was only one main problem now. All of them were used to being with those lower than their standards. All of them were equals. This included ego size. Now they all had decided to prove who was the better.

With each one-shot take down of a Hunter or infected human, the shooter would crow out for attention and brag. Snarls of hatred would come from the others to prove their worth to the group. As they got closer to the hospital, the drones knew it was time to push it up a notch. Just when another Hunter was brought down, one of the men held up a gloved hand for silence. The other five soldiers thought it was a joke for attention.

"What's it to you, Bruce?" the first soldier smirked.

"I heard somethin'. And it wasn't one of you fartin' around!" Bruce mumbled.

"Puh-lease!" another said with a roll of his eyes.

"I'm fuckin' serious, man! I heard somethin'! Big! And it's comin' right at us!" Bruce said with a pale look. Now the others laughed at him. He was actually telling the truth. When the Hunters started to become meat plants for the hive, the drones realized that Hunter buildings were trying to adapt by spitting out larger and larger Hunters. The drones continued to take them down like nothing. The largest Hunter that was ever produced now stood at forty meters tall at the shoulder, was fifty meters long and jam-packed with angry muscle mass. The roar it let out echoed through the empty streets and shattered open any existing windows.

"RUN! RETREAT!" the first man screamed. There was no way they could take it out. Just the sight of it lumbering down at a speed of thirty miles an hour had them all scrambling for cover. Their grenades wouldn't even penetrate through the thick layer of muscle. One man was caught by the leg with a massive claw spearing through the back of his calf. He screamed bloody murder as he was dangled and ripped in half. When they all ran half a mile while it was distracted, they regrouped.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck…" the third soldier panicked.

"The hospital! Where the fuck is it?!" the first man hissed out to maintain a form of order. Bruce was forcing himself to calm down. He refocused on the task now. All thoughts of ego were gone on the violent death of his team-mate. He pulled up the digital map quickly from the small IPod at his side, and found the location.

"Half a mile north!" Bruce said. "If we stick to cover, shouldn't be an issue."

"Tight spaces. Right," the first man nodded. "I don't think it can reach us through them. But…who knows what else can."

"Why…did I agree…to this…" the panicking man whimpered. A smack to the back of his head by another soldier brought him back around. "Ow! Okay! Plan?"

"Tight corners. Tight spaces. Half a mile north," the first man said. They all nodded. Two grueling hours later, they finally made it. For the first time in a long time, if someone killed something, they didn't brag. As much as they wanted to, none of them wanted to attract the attention of the giant Hunter that wanted to kill them.

Little did they know, it was already dead. When they left the scene, twenty drones worked together flawlessly to take it out in under two minutes with Hermanubis being there to deal the killing blow. None of them were harmed. The Hunters may be getting larger, but they all had the same intelligence. And Hermanubis made sure to be the one to kill any of the newer, larger Hunters that appeared. He was the one that loved the thrill of the hunt, after all.

From six in the group down to five, the soldiers started to traverse up the stairs. When they got closer to the top, the sound of Sigyn's giggling made them pause.

"This new Hunter meat is divine! We should send some to Mother!" she said.

"We will. There's at least a good four month supply from that last one," Hermanubis mused. He spoke out loudly to be overheard. He also had the entrance room from the stairs rearranged. He actually built it into a guest receiving chamber. The tentacles were removed from this small area. False walls were put up to give an illusion of calmness, and two false doors were built into the walls. One side of the wall was real for small portraits, a bookshelf and a small table lamp to decorate it. The false walls were covered in a rich form of deep red wall paper with light ornaments that were nailed in to keep from shifting. Even the ceiling was fixed up with a rather lovely chandelier. The floor had a rather luxurious form of cream-colored carpeting. Everything looked far too nice, and that was the idea.

Hermanubis and Sigyn were calmly waiting for the soldiers to appear. He was sitting in a plush, dark brown leather recliner and reading a book. Sigyn was eating an elegantly cooked slice of the newly acquired Hunter meat at a hand-carved oak table. A small glass of red wine was sipped on lightly, and he had a small glass of sherry sitting at an end table near him, too. To them, it was just another day of enjoying each other and sharing a good moment.

When the door from the stairwell was kicked open, Hermanubis looked up with a slightly irritated look from the small novel he was reading.

"More guests?" Sigyn frowned when she looked over.

"You could have knocked, you know," he said with a roll of his eyes. "Anyways, why are you here? My sister and I are living here. No, we're not hurt. We're fine."

"How…?" Bruce stared with disbelief.

"Put the weapons down and relax, okay? There should be plenty of chairs for you. If there aren't, we can get some. No need to panic," the breeder male said lightly. The first man was staring at Sigyn's voluptuous form with rapt attention. "And stop staring at my sister. That's only going to piss me off."

"I thought there was six of you?" Sigyn asked. Another piece of Hunter meat was sliced off and eaten. "Hmm. Was I mistaken?"

"No. Some giant motherfucker came out of nowhere and killed him off," the fourth man in the group said. His senses were screaming at him that it was a trap. That they were all set up. But how? Something definitely wasn't adding up.

"How can you live here knowing that those…things…are out there?!" the fifth man asked. "And that giant fuck out there…"

"Oh! So that was the one our children just killed? The meat is wonderful!" Sigyn giggled. "Much more flavorful than the last one."

"We'll send some to Mother, okay," Hermanubis chuckled.

"You managed…to kill it…?" Bruce asked incredulously.

"Of course. We kill those things all the time," the breeder male shrugged in his own lightly bragging way. "You're talking about this one, right?"

The head of the giant Hunter was brought in by a drone, and all five men had their guns out ready to fire. On realizing that it was dead and now being mounted up like a wall trophy, they went into a form of shock.

"Father would be so proud!" Sigyn smiled.

"That he would! And to know that I brought down the killing blow, too. He'd be amazed," Hermanubis nodded. "The heart was a rather considerable size, too. We can send that to Mother. She'll love it."

"Oh! She will!" she beamed.

"How did you kill that thing?!" the first man asked. "Bullets couldn't hurt it!"

"I never use guns. I see them as a sign of weakness," Hermanubis smirked. "I prefer hand-to-hand combat. I like to feel what I'm killing as I rip out the heart while it's still beating. It's a lot more…satisfactory. Don't you think?"

"How much more satisfactory?" Sigyn asked with amusement in her eyes.

"Just under sex with you," he grinned back.

"It had better be!" she chided.

"What?" Bruce asked.

"You guys…fuck each other…" the third man in the group said with disgust.

"Yes. We do. It's not uncommon in my family," Hermanubis shrugged. "My family isn't really normal, anyways. And I see you all still haven't put away your weapons. A pity."

"I don't think they trust us," Sigyn sighed. She got up now, as though ignoring the meat, but she would finish it later. The drones were already removing things from the room and taking down the walls. Now the tentacle nursery was revealed in full. Hermanubis stood up tall to let Sigyn press herself against him in an amorous way.

"They likely never will. You know how it works with humans. Anyways, I tried to play nice. I don't like it. So…we play hardball," Hermanubis said with a rather twisted, wicked grin. The five soldiers in front of him had no idea that another wall was set up behind them from their shocked horror. And they weren't prepared for the sudden launch of viral tissue that launched at them from the breeder male's outstretched arm to plaster them to it. Their weapons were now leisurely removed and placed in a pile of other weapons that were being collected.

"The lot of you should be happy! You all have been chosen to help us!" Sigyn smiled.

"Fuck you, bitch!" the first man hissed. He was trying and failing to fight his bonds. Now he paled at the cold, heartless glare she gave him.

"I'd say to remove the masks, but I kinda like them. The less I have to see, the better, right?" Hermanubis smirked. "Father will intrigued. My King and Emperor, well…he may kill them on site. Especially if they insult Mother."

"Can I kill the one that insulted me?!" Sigyn asked as she glared at the first man.

"Hmm," Hermanubis frowned. "Mother says no. She'll kill him for you, if she must."

"I want to eat his heart if she does!" Sigyn growled.

"Done," he nodded, pulled his sister close and kissed her hard in front of them. "You have that steak to finish first. We have the heart from that other human, too…"

"Okay," she nodded with a bit of tension. She clearly hated to be insulted. At the soft squeeze he gave her now, it calmed her down significantly.

"If you aren't pregnant when the next hunt happens, you can join me," he muttered. "You can even eat the heart as it's still beating within the Hunter. Will that make you happy?"

"How about I just eat you instead?" she murmured in his ear. That had him grinning at her. The five men were now fully ignored as he escorted his horny sister to the bedchamber beyond the tentacle nursery area. And, just to spite the five men, the false room was reconstructed to give them something to look at.

As much as the breeder pair wanted to talk to them of their future plans, they knew that this group would need more than conversation to see reason. That was where Alex would come in when they got to the chamber. Sometimes, it was best to show there was simply no way to decline. He was an expert at getting his point across.


	40. Chapter 40

It was a day later that the five men would wake up in the chamber. Alex made sure that Agatha was pregnant with breeder eggs. He wanted Robert to keep that protective streak to ensure her safety. Hermes was busy dealing with a bouncy daughter with attention issues at her near six-day-old mark. She had the complete mindset and look of a six-year-old, and Dana clearly needed his help to keep her mentally attentive. As much as he wanted to confront the men to examine them, he simply couldn't.

"I'll keep an eye on them for you," Dionysus nodded.

"Remember. Being the asshole is my job!" Hermes muttered. "You can taunt them. I'm the one that needs to piss them off."

"Sure, sure!" was the response given before Hermes had to leave to help his mate. Two cloaked scout drones from the breeders and from Alex were in the room to spy for them. Alex was waiting at the double-paned mirror window to watch calmly. Unlike the last group, he wanted to slaughter this one. He wasn't impressed with any of them.

"The moment any of them say no, I'm not gonna fucking hesitate!" he growled.

"I know, my King and Emperor," Dionysus nodded. "One of them did panic. We found traces of shit in his underwear when Hermanubis had him undressed. He may be the only one that breaks. The other four…well….a bit iffy. I honestly don't know when the last time they bathed was! It was really gross."

"Were they given the wakeup drug?"

"Not yet! Ready to wake up the little beauties?"

"May as well. No hidden weapons up their asses?"

"If there were, they wouldn't be here."

"Fine. Wake them," Alex nodded.

"Rhea! Get back here now!" Hermes growled. His daughter had neatly slipped out the door and was running amuck around the station.

"Daddy! No!" she squealed. Then she cried at the firm slap to her bottom for misbehaving. She was clearly testing her limits. Her brown eyes welled up with tears from the punishing spank, and she started to cry. Alex looked over, since they were right behind him, and he calmly walked over to them. Dionysus pursed his lips together, but he didn't intervene.

"Sorry, my King and Emperor. Dana had to take a nap, and I was going to see what I could do about lunch. She's tall enough to reach the door handle now," Hermes sighed.

"It's fine," Alex nodded. "Rhea. Look at me."

"Daddy's mean!" she whimpered. Then she looked at Alex and gasped. She had never really met him before like this. All that she was told was that he was a very dangerous person, and that it was because of him that she had her daddy. She knew that Robert was her grandfather, but Alex was someone that she had to be afraid of.

"If you don't listen to your dad," Alex said calmly. "You will listen to me. You don't want to listen to me. If you don't listen to your mother, then I will make you listen to me. I am _much _meaner than your mom or dad combined. Eventually, you will become a very powerful person. Not as powerful as me, but very special. If you make me mad, I will take away that power. Do as your told. Eventually, you will grow up. You will know what you have to do. Until then, you listen to your parents."

"Um…um…" she trembled. Alex struck a fear in her that she couldn't describe. It was actually an instinct to listen and obey this one. He was the Emperor. His word was law.

"Do we have an understanding?" he said with a small smirk. He was only being nice to her because she was a Queen. He didn't want her to feel isolated by him. He only had to put her in her place. The tactic worked. "I'm not always mean. I know you want to play and have fun. But, right now, that needs to be done with your dad. Not out here."

"Okay," she nodded. She moved into her father's protective embrace and shivered. Then she blinked at the small pat that Alex gave her to the top of her silver-haired head. She realized that she was being rewarded for listening to him. It was a nice feeling to her.

"I'll take her back to the bedroom. Mother will want to see her later," Hermes chuckled. "Come on, Rhea. We'll have something to eat, and then we'll play a little."

"Kay!" she nodded. When they left, Dionysus regarded Alex with a form of amusement.

"What?" Alex asked.

"I find it amazing that you didn't swear once when you spoke to her!" the breeder male grinned. At the flip-off he got in response, laughter ensued right after.

"Are they waking up yet?" Alex asked, as he went back to the viewing window.

"Yes. While you were giving Rhea the pep talk of her young life, the drug was given. Now we get to wait and watch the little boys wake up. The food table is prepped. Showers have been cleaned up. Everything is ready."

"Bolted down?"

"The only stuff they can fling around are hot steaks, cups and paper plates. Maybe the occasional piece of fruit. Maybe they can rat-tail with a few towels, but that's about it. Maybe even their shit, too, if they get desperate. Anyways, the one with the shit-stained underwear is waking up first."

"He better not fuck up the sheets," Alex muttered. He watched the black-haired man blink his eyes open and take in the surroundings. At the sight of his fellow troopers sleeping in the beds, he trembled. Was it all a dream he had? Was he still in a bunker? He saw the food table and got up to wearily move to it. On finding the try bolted down to the table, he paused. He now knew that he was in an unfamiliar place. The food was too tempting to resist, and he gave in to the hunger that gnawed at him.

He was joined by the other four soon after. Only after they ate did they settle down to decide what was going to happen with them.

"Do you remember what happened?" the first soldier asked. "Bruce?"

"I think we were drugged up," he responded. He was actually shaved bald and had a gold hoop earring in his left ear. "I have no fuckin' idea where we are. Gary? What do you think?"

"I have no fucking idea," the first soldier replied. He scratched at his buzzed down cut of light-brown hair and glared around the room with deep blue eyes.

"Well…what do we do?" the first soldier that woke up asked now.

"Everything looks bolted down. It's like they've done this before. Your guess is as good as mine, Frankie," Gary shrugged.

"That bitch said that we were chosen to help them," the fourth soldier sneered.

"You better watch your mouth around here, then, Simon," Bruce muttered. "You may be the first to end up dead. We may as well find out what they want."

"Why should we?!" the fifth soldier snorted. "Manny got killed by a fucking thing that they never told us about! We got hosed to a wall with alien guts, or something! Now we're somewhere off a bloody fucking map? Fuck this!"

"Damn it, Allen! Wait…what the…" Gary blinked at the curtain that was pulled aside to expose the deep, murky depths of the ocean. "We're not on land…"

"Oh shit…" Frankie whimpered.

"No one knows where we are?" Bruce cringed.

"All of our shit's gone. We don't even have toilet paper to wipe our asses with," Simon snorted. "Well, we have bed sheets to hang ourselves with!"

"Shut the fuck up," Gary growled. Then they turned quickly at the sight of Alex's scout drone appearing for them. They could tell that they were in a top-secret base. When the other drone revealed itself, they gaped at how perfectly they blended in with the surroundings. Then the door opened for Alex to walk in with Robert.

"Gentlemen, be at ease," Robert said. He was wearing his military uniform again.

"Who the fuck are you?!" Simon asked.

"Commander Robert Harrison."

"Ah…fuck…" Allen blinked. This Commander was quite well-known.

"Then again, I'm not really a Commander anymore. The army was going to toss my ass out," Robert said smartly. Alex was in the guise of Sergeant Thomas, as usual. "I'm here to tell you why you are here. And why I'm here, too. Give me an hour of your time. Then you will all need to make a decision. And I know that you insulted my daughter back on the island. I don't give a flying fuck about you, so you better watch yourself."

"Your…daughter…?" Simon blinked.

"Yes. Sigyn. My daughter. And, yes, I know that she fucks her brother. It's how things work here. Anyways, listen to what I have to say and make a decision. Help us here, or die. But, I'm getting ahead of myself," Robert sighed.

"Wait…" Bruce said. "If we say no, we just…we're dead?!"

"Yes," Robert nodded. "It's something that can't be avoided. You all know too much just by being here."

"Not like we have anything better to do," Gary shrugged and sat on the bed to get comfortable. As Robert now explained everything in a calm manner, Frankie was starting to panic more and more. He didn't want to be anything that they wanted him to be. He didn't want to die, either. Bruce was very much the same way. The other three were clearly disgusted with everything. Bruce also noticed how the man next to Robert hadn't said a single thing. That showed mistrust to him. It was as though he was silently being judged.

"Now you all know everything. What are your decisions?" Robert asked.

"Fuck you and your alien shit!" Simon spat.

"Oh, good," Alex grinned as he reformed. "I get to kill you. And, just so you little miserable fucks know, I'm Project Zeus."

"Um…" Frankie started to shake.

"Save his heart," Robert nodded.

"Done," Alex grinned wickedly. Before Simon could even scream, he was impaled and gutted open right in front of them all. A set of drones came in to remove the body to salvage the heart. "Next! You! Your decision?!"

"I don't…want to die…" Frankie panicked. "Um…can I have more time? To think about it? I mean…"

"We can give you the rest of the day. That's fine," Robert nodded. "There are a few others here than can talk to you. Don't worry."

"And you?" Alex turned his gaze to Gary.

"You all knew what was on that island. You all set us up," Gary trembled. "Why the fuck should I join you all when I know what the fuck I went through to get here?!"

"You would have said no," Alex said with a wicked grin. That got Gary to seethe with anger. "None of you like to lose. To give in. You were all given the challenge for survival. To see how well you all worked together. Hard to get egos to cooperate unless there is a common goal, right? Fuck, even I heard how hard you guys hollered at each other with each fucking kill you did! Why else do you think it was easy for shit to get attracted to you?!"

Allen cringed and screamed as he berserked. He ran at Alex to punch him out and found himself lifted in the air on the blade that formed. As he dangled there like a piece of meat on a fork, Alex neatly tossed him aside to the drones that were waiting to help finish the job. The three left alive were gaping with absolute shock now. For the first time in their lives, they realized that they had no control here. Alex smirked at them all and crossed his arms over his chest. He saw them all as sacks of dead meat.

"Give me time to think about it, too," Bruce said. Gary looked at both him and Frankie with disbelief. They were thinking of throwing their lives away?!

"Done," Robert nodded. Gary knew that he was in the hot seat. At the look of defeat he gave them, Gary seemed to throw his hands up in the air.

"I dunno what to think. My life is shot to hell now. I gotta think about it, too," Gary muttered. If anything, he was buying himself some time to figure things out.

"You have the rest of the day. Food will be replenished. Showers are available. New tops and pants will be provided," Robert said.

"Does…does Commander Murlow know of this?" Frankie asked.

"Yep. He's one of us," Robert nodded. The three soldiers gaped with complete shock. "You have, approximately, twelve hours to think about what you all want to do. Don't think about escaping. There are over five hundred drones on this station alone. And they don't sleep."

The two scout drones camouflaged again and blended in perfectly with the surroundings. As Alex and Robert left the three surviving soldiers to think on a new possible lifestyle, they still weren't impressed. Robert was a bit happy that the one that insulted Sigyn was dead, though. It brought him some piece of mind.

"Fucking losers. All of them," Alex growled.

"Well, if they join us, then fine. One chance, as usual," Robert nodded.

"If they fuck up once…" Alex tensed.

"I think they will," Robert smirked. Alex looked over at him with a smirk back. They went to Agatha's bed chamber to watch over her developing breeder eggs.


	41. Chapter 41

Three hours later, Carlos decided to see if he could talk to the three men that were still alive. As much as he pitied them, he wanted to ensure their decision on joining up. He liked the fact that other humans would be sticking around. It made things that much more workable for him. When he approached the cell, a lesser drone of Robin barred his way.

"Why are you here?" it asked.

"I wanted to talk to them. I want to see if I can help change their minds to have them stay," Carlos said truthfully. The drone thought to Alex and frowned.

"My Liege says you can try. If you die, you brought it on yourself. Soldiers are resourceful. If they kill you, Hermes will be mad. You are special to him," the drone said.

"Well…" Carlos sighed. "I think I can get through to them. Can you have others escort me in there? To help protect me?"

"We can do that," the drone nodded. A lesser drone version of Kim and another of Nick appeared. They would be a perfect set of escorts. When the cell door opened and the three soldiers glanced up at him, they blinked at the fact that he was another soldier.

"Who the fuck are you?" Gary asked.

"I'm Carlos. I was, eh, recruited to them not long ago. Like how they want you to do now. I was part of the first team that was sent in. Only one other of my group of ten survived. He's living here, too," he explained. "I just want to talk to you guys."

"About what? Throwin' our lives away?" Bruce frowned.

"It's not as bad as you think," Carlos chuckled. "I'm still alive."

"But…what do you do?" Frankie asked.

"Menial chores for now. It will change when I help them with the army. I'll go up a touch in rank. Not by much, but it will improve my treatment here," Carlos smiled. "I wasn't very happy with everything, either. However, once you learn the rules, you learn to get by. Granted, I'm seen like a lowly dog on a street curb. But, I learned how to work with the kennel owners, so to speak. I get treated far better than I normally would just by doing what I'm told."

"Well, I'm no fucking mutt!" Gary growled.

"Never said you were," Carlos shrugged. "I'm just describing how we all can be treated as a whole. These guys can skewer us, cook us up on a spit and eat us like an everyday roast. Trust me. I've seen their meat locker."

"Ah…" Frankie cringed.

"Why are you tellin' us this? What's your point?" Bruce asked.

"I'm telling you three to accept the breeder stud positions," Carlos said slowly. "It's what I did. It's what my teammate did. And, if something else opens up, you could be with the girl of your dreams. That's if they find you more than breeder stud quality."

"Like Commander Harrison said," Gary mused. "To make the Queens."

"Yes," Carlos nodded. "However, the Commander is a stud male. He helps make breeders. Not Queens. As for me, I was destined to be a stud. I have someone set up for me."

"I really want to meet the head woman in charge, though," Gary said. "I wanna see her for myself. We haven't met her yet, anyways."

"If you agree to become studs, you'll meet her," Carlos smiled. "She's a very beautiful woman. And she has the most perfect body that I've ever seen."

"Really?" he asked with interest. The drone of Kim seemed to pause at a thought.

"My Liege is bringing our Empress here," it said.

"If any of you show disrespect, you will die," the drone of Nick growled. The soldiers blinked with surprise, but Carlos stood aside to wait for Agatha to appear. They were just now leaving the bedroom. Alex was at her right side and Robert was on her left.

"I don't like Gary," Robert said with a shiver of hate.

"Why is that?" Agatha asked. They started walked down the hall.

"The way the drones are describing him to me. He is getting far too interested in you," he snorted. "I'll fucking kill him, myself, if he gets any ideas!"

"Do it," Alex nodded. "I don't want anyone else touching my mate."

"Done," Robert nodded back. "I'm sure the kids would be rather pissed off, too."

"They are already getting pissed off just by thinking of another stud being with me," Agatha sighed with a shrug. "I don't need another stud male."

"They aren't up to par in intelligence," Alex grumbled.

"I have ten fucking years more on any of them," Robert glowered.

"Curb the anger. Show it if any suggestions are made," Agatha muttered. They both nodded to her, and she was let into the chamber with them. At the sight of her in a loose toga of ultra-light white silk, the three men were taken by complete surprise. She was in the slow phase of her breeder pregnancy, so she still looked slender and graceful.

"Hello, Agatha," Carlos said respectfully.

"Carlos. A pleasure to see you," she nodded back in kind. "Please wait outside?"

"Of course. I'll go check on Rhea," he said. "I think Hermes may need the help."

"I'm sure he does," Robert nodded. He waited for Carlos to leave first before making the introductions. "As for you three, this is Agatha. Project Hera, that is."

"Hello," she nodded. "Since it was you three that survived, I'm sure that Alex and Robert spoke with you?"

"And killed off two of us…" Frankie winced.

"One insulted my daughter. Then me by telling me to fuck off," Robert growled.

"And the other tried to kill me," Alex shrugged. "Self-defense."

"Anyways," Agatha said to get the topic back on track. "You still have time to decide. I am still unsure of your choices. One of you commented on wanting to meet me. So, here I am."

"And you're the head woman, so to speak? This…Empress?" Gary asked.

"I am," she nodded. "Why do you ask?"

As he was about to respond, her hair suddenly moved to coil about her form before stretching out to become a sharp, wicked spike in front of the human's face. She smirked and dared him to speak. Alex grinned wickedly. She was proving that she wasn't defenseless. That she could easily rip him to pieces.

"Oh, Agatha," Robert smiled. "I didn't say anything, but that Hunter heart finally arrived. I saw it brought up from the cryo tube entrance a bit ago. It's being sliced up right now, and it will be served to you when we are done here."

"Really?!" she said with a soft giggle of pure delight. "I'll have to try it!"

"You have breeders. It may taste bad to you," Alex frowned.

"Ah. Yes. Then I'll eat some when I have drones within me," she nodded. Then she looked at Gary and said, "I know you have been asking questions about me. That you have been interested in meeting me. Just remember this. You piss me off, I'll fucking rip you limb from limb as effortlessly as the fucking things that killed your comrade at that island! Your government made me! Then it was the same fat, horny fuck of a scientist that made me that fucked everyone over and brought us to this situation! As you can see, I accepted it. I didn't have a choice. And I'm glad I'm here now. So, here is some advice for you. Okay? Don't. You. Ever. Fucking. Cross. Me."

She was a hardened soldier veteran, and she let the attitude come forth with a vengeance. Her tentacled hair withdrew and settled down to regain the appearance of normal floor-length hair. Now she was tense as the fierce attitude was there in full force. Alex whispered softly to her and kissed her hotly in front of them all. She gave a touch of a wicked grin and gave a seductive whisper back.

"You three stay. Commander, you can talk to them if you want. I have to fuck my mate. Now," Alex grinned, gathered her up in his arms and sped out with her.

"Gary, right?" Robert asked, as he put his arms behind his back to pace. "Why did you want to meet her? You have me curious."

"I have my reasons," Gary responded. Bruce and Frankie looked at each other and carefully stepped away from their teammate.

"And what are those reasons?" Robert asked with a wary glance.

"Not of your concern," was the reply.

"I see," Robert said. He was completely livid now. He knew that Gary was going to try and sway Agatha to accept him as her personal breeder stud. He recognized the signs all too well. He was sure that Alex did, too. Agatha must have clearly caught on, and it was why she showed off her tentacled hair like she did. She didn't want another breeder stud. Robert was given, in a rather silent manner, full permission to kill this one off. "You're thinking of trying to be with her. Aren't you? To find your way into her bed…"

"I don't know what the fuck you're talking about!" Gary growled.

"But, I do," Robert smirked. Osiris had felt the thoughts of rage coming from his father. He had taken a quick moment to pour through some files and memories while his mother spoke to the man, and he found out something interesting. Then, while Agatha had caught the soldier's attention, the camouflaged scout drone was right behind Robert and giving out a whispered bit of information. That information was now revealed in full. "The only reason you got as good as you did was because you seduced the fuck out of every high-ranking official you found. Man or woman. You got them to teach you the secrets of their success. Then you applied it to yourself. You even tried to get Commander Murlow's assistant to fuck you! So, in retaliation, he sent you to a base to 'hone your techniques' elsewhere. Or am I wrong?"

"You think this shit's easy?!" Gary snarled out.

"I spent over twenty fucking years of my life dedicated to military time and expense!" Robert hissed back with authority. "I scraped, clawed and fought my way to where I was! I didn't have to fuck anybody to get there! I was a true model citizen and soldier of the United States of America before I was dragged balls first into this fucking project! Because of my knowledge here, they were going to kick my ass out! After _everything_ that I did for this country! After all the lies and bullshit that I went through to protect what I knew and loved! You. Are. Nothing. You're a sack of lies. A sack of the same bullshit I had to put up with. You shouldn't have been brought here."

"And what are you going to fucking do about it?!" Gary smirked. Then the wind was knocked from him when Robert's fist slammed into his Adam's apple. Then another fist came out to crush in his nose to drown the man in his own blood. When Gary was hunched over, Robert brought down his elbow to break the back of the man's neck to finish him off.

"Get rid of it," Robert muttered to the drone, and the body was removed. Then he looked over at the two men. "Now. Why should the two of you become studs? I want to know."

"Oh man…!" Frankie panicked. "Oh fucking shit…!"

"I don't know what to say," Bruce admitted. "Or how to respond. Time's runnin' out for me. Like you, I worked hard. I did what I had to in order to make my way. I didn't cheat my way up. I earned it. I don't…really want to be a stud. To share a woman. I know I'm more than bein' a basic stud. I was gettin' close to earnin' my top marks, and I only accepted the island mission with the promise that I would get them."

"I see," Robert mused. "You may be suitable to help make Queens. You are telling me the truth, and you have an excellent head on your shoulders. As for you…"

"Please…I just…" Frankie whimpered.

"You break too much under pressure," Robert said, and he pursed his lips together. "You would be the first one to be killed to keep a group quiet. We'll give you one more hour to think of a decision. Bruce? What do you think? Would you like to end up with the woman of your dreams and help us make Queens?"

"I think I can use the old 'RnR' as they say. Despite it bein' a touch permanent," Bruce chuckled. Robert shook his hand and gestured for him to leave the cell.

"The drones will take you to the lab for a special shot of Agatha's blood. It will keep you from getting infected, and it will allow you to help make Queens. Just don't fuck up. Everyone gets only one chance. That includes me," Robert shrugged. Bruce nodded and followed a drone. "As for you, Frankie, you need to calm the fuck down."

"I…don't know…if I can…" the soldier panicked. Robert sighed and seemed to give a nod. "I just…I don't wanna die…"

"Then you need to decide. If you become a stud, you will live. You'll get to take turns fucking a gorgeous woman. Not Agatha, but another. You just have to wait until a born Queen is ready to start taking a stud. You go with this route, and you'll get your wish to live. Just do as your told. That's all you have to do," Robert said calmly.

"I just…fuck a girl?" Frankie blinked.

"You'll have to do a few chores here and there, but it won't be anything major. Like, oh, food prep and animal care. Boot camp shit," Robert shrugged. "That's really it."

"Oh…" the soldier calmed down even more.

"But…if you fuck up…" Robert said seriously. "You're dead."

"I won't!" Frankie said quickly. "I promise!"

"Okay. Follow a drone to the lab. Get a shot of Agatha's blood. You'll be taken to the mess room to meet whoever wants to talk to you," Robert nodded. They shook hands and Frankie was escorted out. "Fucking A…what a mess…"

He grimaced and walked out of the room to let the drones fix it back up for future guests.


	42. Chapter 42

Karl and Carlos were rather pleased with the outcome, but they were both concerned about Frankie. They needed to find out how he got to take such a dangerous mission, and they wanted to know how he got up to the point in status that he was. Bruce was in the clear, since he had a rather firm head on his shoulders. He didn't panic under pressure.

"What do you think of him?" Karl asked.

"Of Frankie? I can't say for sure," Carlos frowned. "Hey, Bruce!"

"Hello," he nodded as he sat down. "What are you all discussin'?"

"Frankie," Carlos sighed.

"Oh. Him," Bruce winced. "Well, I can give you some insight."

"Please do," Dionysus said, as he walked over to join them. "I'm Dionysus. A breeder male. I like joining these things."

"Hermes won't get mad?" Karl grinned.

"He's dealing with a runaway kid. He has enough," the breeder male grinned back. Then he blinked when Apollo joined them. "What's the killjoy of the group doing here?"

"I'm also curious about Frankie. You. Talk," Apollo said, and he looked at Bruce.

"Right," Bruce sighed. Do what you're told. He'll live longer. "Anyways, Frankie is an excellent marksman. When he's calm, he can hit a target dead center at over three hundred feet away. Maybe even more with the right scope. He's like, a prodigy with a sniper rifle. Any weather. Rain, shine, hurricane…he always hits the target dead center. It's nuts. Mainly how he got to where he is. He's a quick thinker, and an excellent tracker, too. He was like, our scout, you see? His downside is when he panics. He can't help it."

"So, he's awesome until he's scared shitless?" Dionysus asked.

"Pretty much," Bruce nodded. "Granted, he's an egotistical bastard like the rest of us were. It's a given. I wasn't so much, but it was mainly to save face. I was able to think clearly through the stress of things. Frankie…eh…not so much. I am a bit relieved that he's alive."

"This is where I disagree with Father letting him live," Apollo said carefully. "If he has panic issues, I don't want them to spread to the breeders he makes."

"Well, we don't know if that will happen," Karl said.

"We don't, but can we take that risk?" Apollo asked. "Can we sacrifice a whole group of breeders that may have this handicap?"

"Fuck…" Carlos winced. "It would be a waste."

"But, think about it," Dionysus said. "It's only when things go out of control, right? If there is already a stable environment for them, then it shouldn't happen."

"True," Karl thought.

"If they are already well protected and don't need much physical contact, then it's a done deal. Right?" Dionysus said. "It's hard to come across suitable studs now. Mother's blood could have even cured him of that condition, anyways. Her blood does different things. We know this. We've seen it happen with Father. Even he was surprised at how quickly he took out that fucker wanted to be with Mother!"

"We need to test him," Apollo said. "Mother agrees."

"You _had _to bring Mother into this?" Dionysus groaned.

"You know I had to," Apollo glared. "It's a stud male for one of her grandchildren. For another Queen. There can be no weaknesses. I'll talk to Father now."

They all nodded glumly when Apollo left, and they looked over at Sakuma escorting his pregnant mate in. Bruce gaped in shock at her Oriental beauty. Now he realized what he was told about being with the girl of his dreams. Did he even have one like that? He was even more speechless when Steve brought in Amunet. She was impregnated at the same time as Amaterasu, and both breeder females giggled at each other in greeting.

"You are going to be another to help make Queens?" Sakuma chuckled at Bruce. He helped Amaterasu sit down and let her ask for something to eat.

"From what I've been told. I met Hariti in the lab," Bruce smiled. "She's almost ready to give birth?"

"A couple more days," Dionysus nodded. "If that. It seems to be the case."

"Rhea! Stay with me!" Hermes said sternly. His daughter blinked at him and frowned. "If you want to walk around, that's fine, but you do it with me. We'll sit down and eat. Okay?"

"Kay," she nodded. She looked over at Carlos and beamed as she ran over to him. "Carlos! You gonna eat, too?"

"I've been eating," Carlos said warmly. She snuggled into his chest and looked at the breeder women in the room with beaming smiles. Now that the child was the center of their attention, the guys sat down to talk while the girl was distracted. Carlos mildly listened in, but it was doubtful that he'd be able to join them with Rhea in his lap.

"I saw Apollo walk out of here. When he's around, something's up. So, what's up?" Hermes asked. "I want in."

"You always want in," Dionysus snorted.

"Better me than you," Hermes grinned.

"No matter the hole?" the breeder male retorted.

"Fuck you," Hermes muttered in a low tone, and the other snickered. "Your hairstyle makes you look like a dashing princess."

"At least mine doesn't make me look like a long-haired Manga reject," Dionysus muttered back. "You could pass as a woman, too, with the right make-up!"

"Well, I could put you in a frilly dress with make-up, and you'd fit right in for a play on Shakespeare and Renaissance modeling," Hermes smirked.

"And I could put your hair in multiple braids, put you in speedos on a bike and…ugh. Not even I want that image!" Dionysus winced.

"At least you can tell that I look like a male," Hermes grinned. "And sound like one."

"I sound like a guy, too!" he pouted.

"Not when you up the octaves," Hermes grinned a bit wider.

"Asshole!" Dionysus scowled.

"Just doing my job!" he replied. The others were snickering with laughter as Hermes now gleaned the memories. "Okay. Test him. I like that. On what?"

"To see if Mother's blood changed him," Dionysus said.

"Okay. How?" Hermes asked.

"Father knows of various areas that can use live ammunition. It's either that or we send him back to the island for him to hunt with Hermanubis. He's up for that, too," Dionysus said.

"That's a scary thought. Hunting with Hermanubis. Wow," Hermes whistled.

"Just by him goin' back to the island should be enough to see if he gets scared," Bruce thought aloud. "If he starts to shake, then you have your answer."

"That may actually be better than wasting ammunition," Karl said.

"Then let's do that," Hermes nodded. "Apollo will bring up the idea to Mother now."

"Anyways, I'm starved!" Dionysus chuckled. As the banters continued in the mess room, Agatha was resting her hand over Apollo's while he sat in a chair by the bed to talk to her.

"Threaten him by having him go back to the island," Alex mused. He was reclining with Agatha in the bed with a thoughtful look.

"Hermanubis wouldn't mind trying to hunt with him," Agatha chuckled. "If Frankie acts out of line, he'll become the one my son hunts."

"I did have my doubts about him," Robert said. He was sitting in a chair near Alex. "I was ready to kill him off, but something said to give him another chance. Let him prove himself. I say we go for it. Oh, what countries were being settled in now?"

"Italy, France, Greece, Rome and small parts of Russia and China," Agatha said. "I'm already getting in shipments of boar meat from Spain!"

"When do the kids show themselves? Actually, how far along are the other underwater bases?" Alex asked. Agatha thought to Osiris and smiled.

"Right on schedule. Another month for testing to ensure they are habitable first. Then, after Rhea is grown, she will leave with the viable King that is still in stasis here. Um, I do feel that this set of breeders is off. As though I am now producing less breeders and more Kings. I honestly feel that only Queens will be produced from the special breeders. I will be the only one able to make Kings for them," she admitted.

"It does seem to be apparent. It's another female for Ragland," Alex nodded. "He verified that it's females in the other two, as well. I think that, after Rhea is grown and mated to a King, Dana may be pregnant again. I think that's how it would work for her."

"True," Robert nodded. "We've been finding enough scrap metal?"

"From all the shipwrecks and submarines sunk over the years, we find enough. Osiris has been sending us supplies, too. We took over a few scrapyards, so it's not an issue anymore," Alex nodded. "We also took over a few food processing plants, too. Small shipments are being stockpiled in various locations. Farms have been claimed for produce and meat. Once we have a stable foothold in every possible area of importance, we'll make the call to step out of hiding."

"Good. What's the next plan? Just waiting for the underwater homes?" Robert asked.

"Yep," Alex nodded again. "When they are functional, we will have a King and Queen populate them. A traffic of swimming drones will help patrol. No one will know what hit them until it's too late. There's already so many out there that it's a done deal, anyways. But, we like to give a little more time until we are ready."

"And what do we do about Frankie?" Apollo asked.

"Ship his sorry ass back to the island and see how he does," Alex grinned wickedly.

"Yes, my King and Emperor," Apollo nodded. He let his mother give a chaste kiss to his lips and he left the room. Robert chuckled at how proud he was of his son. He got a mental feeling of pride given back to him in response.

"I'm starving!" Agatha growled as her belly swelled. It was now in the fast growth phase. Alex and Robert were quick to feed her voracious appetite.


	43. Chapter 43

Frankie was shocked that he was told to help Hermanubis hunt on the island. He didn't know what it was for. On learning that it was because of his panic attacks, he realized that they needed to be sure that he would overcome them. Something told him that Agatha's blood changed that part of him. He didn't even flinch when he saw the cryo tube. Thirty minutes later, he walked out of it to find Hermanubis waiting for him.

"Hello, again," the breeder male nodded. "We are going to be hunting some rather nasty critters! I'm sure you know why. Right?"

"Yeah, I do," Frankie nodded. "To be honest, I don't really feel that way anymore. It's as though I know I'll be fine."

"Well, we'll know for sure this way. Won't we?" Hermanubis mused. "Sigyn is resting right now, but she wants another Hunter heart. We are going to hunt one down. Together. We'll get you outfitted in some good gear, too."

"I didn't think boxers and a shirt would offer much protection."

"Very true," he chuckled. Several drones appeared with a full military outfit for Frankie. It consisted of a heavier shirt and jacket with a bullet-proof interior, heavy pants with armored pockets built in and steel-toed boots. It may have been worn by another military official before, but it was a much better quality than what he was used to wearing. It was all a dark greenish black in color, but that was to help camouflage in the shadowed spots. He was given a basic helmet, but that was it. Agatha's blood would keep him from getting infected.

"Do I get a weapon?" Frankie asked.

"No. You are just going to spot the beast. I get to kill it. The drones will take you to where we last saw one of the same size you saw before. As we kill off the Hunters, larger ones evolve to try and get the better of us. We simply overwhelm them," Hermanubis explained. Then he pressed the red button to have the cryo tube leave. He didn't want Frankie to think that he had a way to escape. Smirking now, an escort of drones appeared consisting of both his and Alex's broods. There were still quite a few drones from Geb, too.

"Come with us," a lesser drone of Nick said to Frankie. "The one we hunt is a mile away. We know where to go."

"I'll meet you there," Hermanubis nodded. Then he leapt off the side of the building to run down it easily. Frankie gaped at this, but he cleared his throat. He had to prove his worth or die trying. For the first time he could remember, he didn't feel like panicking. It was strange. As he moved with the drone group, he evaluated everything around him. He actually felt that his eyes were sharper than before. Why was that? He even spotted a bird that was flying above him from over five hundred feet in the air!

"Seagull…" Frankie muttered.

"What?" the drone asked.

"I just saw a seagull fly over us. You can't see it?" he asked.

"No," the drone said. Frankie was now being evaluated, and this information was sent through the hive mind. Hermanubis was actually impressed. For an hour, the drones tested Frankie's new talent as they moved. Every time they reached the Hunter they needed, it was already gone. It knew it was being hunted down. It had no plans on being caught out in the open. Frankie was able to track where the monster moved despite the fast pace it went.

When he had his eyes locked on it, he spoke out which way it turned. Where it tried to disappear to. It was almost as though his eyes became a set of highly optical telescopes. He was able to see everything up close if he focused in on his target. Hermanubis was able to irritate the Hunter just enough to force it to keep moving. They were trying to wear it down, but that was unlikely. As they were trying to trap it, it was going to see about trapping them. This was clearly an intelligent Hunter. As they moved around the island to keep pace with it, another cryo tube had appeared and landed. This one had brought Alex.

He was a bit intrigued about Frankie now. His enhanced vision would prove useful if any future breeders got this talent. He wanted to ensure that this human lived. The panicking was clearly gone, but he had to see for himself about it. As much as Agatha fretted a little, she knew he would be safe. He had impregnated her with drones before he left, too, so he had time. He didn't want Robert to get her pregnant twice. As much as the breeders would be appreciated, Alex would have simply gotten too pissed off.

He had also appeared because of the Hunter. He was amused at how intelligent it was. The hive mind he was connected to led him into a building. The massive Hunter had led them in here to an underground parking garage. It was close quarters. Very close quarters.

"Look out!" Frankie shouted as the massive creature howled and charged at Hermanubis. Within a blink of an eye, the breeder male was already gone and it collided with a structural pillar. While it was stunned, the breeder male moved to attack, but it was quick to recover. This was clearly an enhanced Hunter. It was a worthy prey to him. When an abandoned white car was suddenly picked up and hurled, Frankie was just barely kept protected from the mass of scrap metal. The drones were able to pull him to safety behind another pillar.

"Protect the human!" Hermanubis hissed as he kept the Hunter's focus on him. When the massive mouth moved to snap at him, a clawed hand formed to slap it back to make it seethe with pain. It was frustrated that it couldn't attack this one as easily as it thought it could. Then a startled roar erupted from it. Alex had landed squarely on the Hunter's back and began to burrow his way inside it. Hermanubis was clearly impressed.

"Stay back!" a lesser drone of Kim said to Frankie. The Hunter roared and bucked around, but Alex's tentacled form had drilled holes into it and latched onto solid bone. He grinned and let his form sink into the back of the creature fully. Now the Hunter started to jerk around and roar with frustration. After another moment, all movement stopped. A keening wail of pain was the only sound it could give out. Then it simply exploded as a mass of black tentacles erupted from it without a second of mercy.

Frankie stood there with a gaping form of shock. He had never seen something killed with such a cold sense of satisfaction before. Alex reformed with a triumphant smirk. He was holding the massive heart of the Hunter. Whatever meat could be salvaged was already being done. Alex looked at Frankie now and appeared amused. The human would be panicking by now. He was rather calm. That pleased Alex.

"I'll keep this for Agatha," Alex said. "Sigyn will need another heart."

"You killed it. It's yours," Hermanubis agreed.

"Good. As for you, how do you feel?" Alex asked Frankie.

"Surprisingly good," the man admitted. "If I had a weapon…"

"It would have been useless. You would have just pissed it off," Alex said bluntly. "So, while it was distracted, I decided to piss it off and kill it. It worked."

"That it did," Frankie agreed as he eyed the massive heart.

"The cryo tubes should be back by now. When you get to the base, you may become a breeder stud to Hariti's growing Queen. She'll be birthed in a few days and you can help her grow up. We need to go back," Alex grunted. "Also, we may be moving various breeders and studs to the new bases being set up under water. As well as various Queens and Kings. You will be joining the move when you're fully established."

"Will other soldiers be on them?" Frankie asked.

"Maybe. We have to recruit them first," Alex shrugged. "So you may be the only human on a base for a while. Why?"

"I just…would feel comfortable with others like me. That's all."

"Well, like I said, it may or may not happen. If you know of some others that may work, you'll have to tell us. However, we were thinking of one King and Queen per underwater base. Safer to be kept spread out. It's needed to remain hidden for now."

"I know. All right," Frankie said with a mild form of defeat.

"So, get your fucking social issues out of the way. If you want to live, you'll do as your fucking told," Alex said with annoyance. "Don't argue."

"Right," Frankie nodded. When they got to the waiting cryo tubes, they were quickly sent back to the base to get the next stage underway. That wouldn't happen until Rhea was finally old enough to claim her waiting King.


	44. Chapter 44

Twelve days had already gone by. Rhea had grown into a beautiful young woman with porcelain white skin, long and straight silver hair and deep brown eyes. Her figure was slender, but graceful. She seemed to give out an aura that she was a form of royalty. That she was a leader. Hariti, Amunet and Amaterasu had all given birth to their daughters and were tending to them, too. All of the children were beautiful. As days were considered years, it was easy to know that it wouldn't be simple to keep them entertained. A nursery and small schooling area had to be constructed to keep them amused.

Hariti's daughter appeared to be a nine-year-old child with a beautiful complexion of black hair, tanned skin and warm brown eyes with a touch of an Oriental look. She was mild-mannered, but only if nothing caught her interest. Amunet's daughter had the appearance of a four-year-old with a bouncy attitude like her mother. Long, straight blond hair was kept neat and tidy around a lightly freckled face. Pastel blue eyes blinked around with a vast form of curiosity, and Steve was hard pressed to keep her at his side from her curiosity of everything around her.

Amaterasu's daughter easily showed off her Queenly appearance. She was quiet for a four-year-old. Her black hair was carefully coifed up, and her father's dark brown eyes held a touch of wisdom and childish amusement at everything she witnessed. She had fully inherited her mother's beauty in both poise and form. Sakuma could never be prouder, but even he knew that being with his daughter was going to be short-lived. When she grew up, she would be transferred to another underwater base. He did know that she would be contacting him when she could. He was teaching her that being with family was important.

"Ran!" Sakuma said a touch sternly. They had stuck to the tradition of using Norse goddess names for the Queens. "Remember to be calm!"

"Yes, Father," she said softly.

"We are going to school, but you can't run," he said gently. "Stay with me."

"Is Eir and Frigg to be there?" she asked.

"Yes. Ragland will bring Eir. Steve is bringing Frigg. Rhea doesn't need to be there anymore. She has a special day today," Sakuma chuckled.

"Oh! She gets her King?!" Ran said with a touch of happiness.

"That she does! And you will, too, when the time comes. I'm sure you'll meet Rhea's King soon. Let's wait in the school, okay?" he said. She nodded and held his hand as he escorted her. Agatha had three new eggs containing Kings in their stasis sleep, and they were secured in the specialized tentacle. The Kings appeared to be hairless, skeletal structures. The one destined for Rhea was now shown.

"That is Cronus?" she asked.

"Yes. When you touch the egg, he will know what to be for you," Hermes smiled.

"When the egg hatches, it should be in a private room," Agatha suggested. "As much as I want to see what he will look like, I feel that Rhea may become receptive to breeding right away. I don't want any to get the wrong idea with her."

"Hmm…" Alex thought. "I think you're right."

"Since that's the way it is with me," she said. "We can't chance it."

"A room will be prepared. Rhea, touch the egg. I'm sure it will still need time to develop," Alex said. Rhea looked at him and nodded. The young Queen walked up to the large egg and shivered with a form of excitement. On pressing her hands to the warm, plastic-like shell, the King's body within it shifted to press back into her palms. Right before their eyes, black hair formed. The body started to lengthen as new muscles developed. Ragland was there to monitor the changes to see what would happen with the other eggs.

"It looks like he's going to have a bit of your build," Robert chuckled to his son. "Dana's hair, though. See?"

"True," Hermes chuckled back. "Skin looks paler, too."

"He also appears to look like the 'bad ass' type with a dangling fang earring or three," Robert grinned. "He has that look."

"I don't think he'll want something like that," Agatha mused. Rhea pulled her hands away with a touch of pride. Her King would definitely accent her looks. He had a build much like Hermanubis, but he appeared to be taller with a wider chest. His hair even appeared to stop at just past his shoulders and in slight disarray. She didn't want to leave the egg alone.

"Daddy, um, can I stay with him?" Rhea asked Hermes.

"We have a room prepared," Kim said. "Several rooms are now arranged. A tentacle can be placed in each room for a single egg. There is a bed with basic furnishings in each room."

"Your first set of drones and breeders can be left here," Alex said. "Take only the strongest with you. A submarine will take you, Carlos and Cronus to a finished base. The one that's nearly done is a hundred miles off from the coast of Sydney, Australia. The drones there are reporting that it's working properly. Livestock, gardens, water systems and air filtration is complete and set up. Various meats are being frozen in the freezer there now. Can you communicate with Agatha?"

"Ah, I can hear Daddy's thoughts. Some from Grandmother through him," Rhea nodded. "I know what I need to do. I will miss you all, though."

"We can keep contact with video uplinks. Or just talk to me in your head," Hermes smiled and hugged her tight. "I'm sure there will be times we will all need to meet up."

"Very true," Agatha smiled warmly. She got a tight hug from Rhea, and Cronus was taken into the empty room. Hermes was the one to set up the tentacle in here, and it would be reserved for any of his future Queens. The specialized breeder females were able to claim various rooms for themselves to have their tentacles mark them. New rooms would need to be constructed for future pairings, but this would help for the Queens already there.

As Rhea was now left in the chamber with her developing King, Hermes found his thoughts going to Dana. He had this intense urge to be with her. It was getting harder to ignore.

"Hermes?" Robert frowned when he saw his son.

"I think it's time a gave Dana a good deep-dicking," Hermes grinned. Alex barked out laughter and gestured for him to go. Hermes didn't wait another second longer.

"Now that Rhea is an adult, he would want to start being with Dana again. At least she isn't constantly pregnant," Agatha giggled.

"True. She has almost a month to recover," Robert smiled. As they talked and conversed, Rhea was sitting in a chair and watching her developing King. She continued to touch and stroke the egg gently. It was as though she was constantly reassuring him that she was there. It was something she couldn't stop doing. For the next three hours it was like this. She didn't even realize how fast time flew by when the body within the clear shell suddenly swelled up and rocked around.

She jumped up with surprise as he leapt out of the tentacle. The shell molded to his form, and he opened his eyes at last to look at her. Silver eyes. Just like her father's eyes and Robert's eyes. She gained her mother's brown eyes and her father's silvery white hair. The two were exact opposites in that aspect, but even she felt the strong bond she had with him.

"Rhea," Cronus finally said. His voice was deep, powerful and had a soft echo to it. His face was now sharply angled to appear soft with warmth, but could also become cold with silent hatred. She was just in complete shock as his body started to fill out a touch more. He was a foot shorter than her father, but that was fine. He was definitely leaned and toned to show that he wouldn't hesitate to snap the necks of any that tried to interfere with them. Just like Alex, he was now a force to be reckoned with.

"Cronus…" she whispered back in her own light tone. He was a King, and he knew it. And she knew that he had to lay claim to her now. When he approached her, it was with swift steps, but she turned from him. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Her scent was already affecting him. He needed to be with her.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly and lightly stroked her back. "Ah. You're dressed. We need to remedy that."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" she asked with a bit of shock at how brash he was. Now she felt insulted and her hair quickly shifted into the same spiked cocoon that Agatha was able to create. Cronus paused with a rare look of surprise. On gleaning various thoughts, he knew what he had to do.

It was just like what Alex needed to do. He had to coax her out. A single finger now moved to trace over a spike. He heard her gasp within the cocoon, and he whispered, "You're safe with me, Rhea. You know that I am meant for you. You made me in this image. Don't you want to enjoy what I have become? I'm sure you do."

"No…" she whimpered. He kept up with the soft caresses.

"I'll protect you. I'll keep you safe," he said with a light chuckle. The cocoon started to waver at last, but he kept going. "I am your King, and you are my Queen. You know this. It's time for us to cement the fact. I will never hurt you, Rhea. I apologize for my earlier rashness. You affect me so much right now…it's hard to ignore. Don't I…affect you the same way?"

"Cronus...!" she whimpered again as her defenses went down. He kissed her hard when he pulled her close and ripped off the clothing she wore. It would get fixed back up later. He couldn't wait for this any longer. She was gently moved to the bed, and his form quickly coated over hers. Her cry of pain was the next thing heard as he seeded her. It took a solid hour for this to fully be accomplished. It was much like the others. In time, he would be able to be with her normally. This first mating had to be an act of claim. He was proving to any and all that this was her mate. This was his Queen.

"Rhea," he smiled when he finished. He reformed next to her, and she let him pull her close. He felt their first set of drones form within her, and he chuckled. On thinking about Carlos, he gave out a snort of distaste. He was actually able to hear his mother's thoughts on what had to happen with breeder males to have them form. Sighing to himself, he knew he would talk to Carlos directly. As for now, he was going to enjoy being with Rhea. They needed this to cement their bond in full, and he wasn't going to think of anything else for now.


	45. Chapter 45

Carlos was surprised when Cronus went to confront him directly a couple hours later. The new King had chosen to wear all black leather. From the jacket, to the shirt, to the pants and boots, it gave him an eccentric, yet dangerous appearance. It worked well for him. The pants were snug, but not tight. The shirt was a soft form of pliable black leather for the best movement possible for his wide, lean chest. Even the jacket was a touch large, but held various zippers and pockets. His black bangs framed his silver eyes neatly as the human was regarded. He looked a touch Gothic from the pale skin, but that wouldn't matter. He was there to talk business.

"Ah…who are you?" Carlos blinked.

"I'm Cronus," the King said with a slight growl. "You are the one destined to be Rhea's stud male. Right? Or am I wrong?"

"You are correct," he said lightly.

"She's pregnant with my drones now. I wanted to see you for myself. I don't know what Hermes sees in you. I don't see anything in you."

"Cronus," Hermes said in the distance. "Be nice."

"What do you see in him?" the King asked now. The breeder male walked over.

"Survival skills," Hermes said wisely. That made Cronus think with a form of indecision. "He knows how to keep himself alive. He has something called 'street smarts'. He will always pull through, regardless of the situation thrown at him. And he is exceptionally calm in the thick of battle. He was one of the few that caught my attention when he was first made known. I wasn't sure, either, but then I saw him fight. I saw him lead. He is worthy for making breeders. He will benefit us and you."

"I see…" Cronus muttered in his deep voice. Then he paused as he heard his mother's thoughts filter through his mind. Lowering his eyes with silent respect, he sighed with a nod. Looking back at Carlos, he said, "Very well. However, Rhea will not be ready for you just yet. You will help keep her fed."

"Cronus. You. Me. Talk," Alex said, as he walked over to confront the new King. Cronus looked over now and nodded curtly. "Hermes. Fuck off. Carlos. Tend to Rhea."

"Right," Hermes smirked. He saluted Alex before leaving to check on Dana. Carlos swallowed down the chuckle and left the room quickly. Alex gestured for Cronus to sit with him, and it was done with a small nod.

"My Emperor," Cronus said respectfully. "What do you wish of me?"

"You gave several vials of blood to Ragland?" Alex asked.

"I did."

"Good. We both know that Hera needs them to recuperate," Alex nodded. It was decided that, for new Kings only, that Alex and Agatha would be referred to by their project names to show how important they were. Queens were easy to keep in line. Kings were another matter completely. "The same may be needed for you. For Rhea. For any others."

"What happened with Mother before?"

"Her body started to deteriorate after a certain amount of time. One pure cell revitalized her and put her back in a virgin state. We don't know what will happen with other Queens. Copies of Rhea's cells have also been created. A room has been created to store her cells and your cells on the new base. I'll have one of my drones tend to that, since I can tell it what to do. Can you can see my thoughts?"

"No. Only Mother," Cronus grimaced.

"I'll have several of my drones accompany you. You could also check to see if you can glean memories like me. I'm not sure if you can."

"Who can I test this with?"

"I'd say me, but my genetic make-up might fuck with you. Hmm. Oh. Test with Carlos," Alex grinned a touch wickedly. "You want to really know what he's all about? Do that. It may answer a lot of your doubts about him."

"I'll do that now," Cronus nodded and stood up. Alex nodded and sped off to check on his mate. When Cronus got to the room that Rhea was in, he gave a warm smile to her.

"Cronus?" she smiled. Her belly was still swelling, but that was fine. He glanced over at Carlos with amusement and gestured for him.

"Yes, Cronus?" the human asked.

"I need to try an experiment. My Emperor is curious if it works. I need a drop of your blood to see if I can gain your memories," Cronus said lightly. Carlos blinked, but he nodded all the same. He didn't want to end up dead for declining him. Exposing his hand, Cronus let one of his hands form into a wicked set of claws. He scratched the skin open and took the blood. He knew that the breeder males were able to do it. On gleaning the memories now, he nodded. Agatha was able to tell Alex that it worked. On thinking back to him, she informed her son that he needed to do this with all on the station that he needed.

"Did it work?" Carlos asked.

"It did. Thanks," Cronus nodded. "I'll accept you as Rhea's stud male. We may be leaving for the Australian base within the week. Be ready to leave."

"Of course," he nodded. "From what I understand, it's one Queen and King to a base?"

"Yes. That is the current goal. We stay spread out for safety. Then, when it's time to strike, we hit hard," Cronus grinned with a touch of wickedness. "Ten bases are planned to be built. That should be plenty. Three more bases are already in construction from the Queens here. We are going to the one based near Australia. That is the current plan."

"And when Rhea gives birth?"

"The first set of drones will remain here, save the strongest ones that will go with us. One set of your breeders with her will remain here, too. Mainly to help communicate with my Emperor. The rest will go with us. That is what the plan is so far. I'm letting you in on this because you are supposed to be trustworthy. Your memories prove that. However, the rule still stands. You fuck up once, you're dead," the King said in a flat tone. When Rhea showed signs of hunger, he looked over at her to smile. Carlos found himself being ignored now, and he took that as a gesture to get more food. The moment they were alone, they relaxed.

"Cronus," she smiled and reached for her mate. He was in her arms to hug her.

"What is it?" he asked and kissed her gently.

"I really don't want a stud male," she frowned.

"Would you go against Mother's orders? Or our Emperor's demands?" he asked her.

"I know…" she trembled.

"I'll let you in on a secret," Cronus grinned.

"What's that?"

"Not once has Mother ever kissed her stud male. Your grandfather."

"Oh! That's right…"

"She shows just enough affection. She lets him live," he chuckled. "I'll make a few tentacles in here when you are ready to give birth. Then we'll let Carlos be with you to get some breeders made. I won't be able to touch you until we get to the new base, though."

"But…you'll stay with me?"

"That's not even a question you need to ask," he growled with a grin to see her blush.

"I want you to stay with me."

"I can do that. I'll stay for as long as our Emperor doesn't have need of us. That's not an issue at all. And don't worry. I'll never be long from your side. I vow this," he muttered and traced a finger down her cheek. "And, just so you know, I won't hesitate to snap the human's neck if he fucks up. You have my word."

"Okay," she sighed and winced at a growth spurt. He ran a hand over her belly and looked over when Carlos returned with a few drones. It was freshly harvested Hunter meat. With new Queens that were going to be as hungry as Agatha was, the stock of meat was being quadrupled. When she tried some of it cooked, her hunger was curbed. It was exactly what Agatha needed at times, too. Cooked meat really did help. With this bit of knowledge sent out, it would be easier to keep track of what was used and harvested. Alex was pleased and would ensure that each base had a frozen stock of precooked meat.

As much as the downtime was needed, it was Osiris that made a rather startling discovery an hour later. And it was one that he had to report quickly to his mother. If it wasn't taken care of swiftly, then a good portion of what they wanted to do would be jeopardized. An army base would need infiltrating. And soon. The reason was simple. A drone was discovered and they had to bottle up the leak quickly.

The drone was severed from the hive mind to kill it off, but the damage was done. The danger of a full blown discovery was quickly mounting. Someone had to go in and cut everything off at the source. The only problem was that Alex would need to be the one to do it. He couldn't trust having another drone go in. He couldn't risk a breeder pair. He liked fucking things up for the military personally, anyways. It was always his main goal to show who was in charge. And he had to be the one in charge.


	46. Chapter 46

Agatha was in a small state of shock. She didn't want Alex to go alone on such a dangerous mission. She wanted to go with him, and he was adamant that she stay put. Even Robert was insisting that she stayed put, too.

"At least take a squad of drones!" she pleaded.

"No," he frowned. "I can't. Osiris has everything in lockdown, right?"

"He does," Agatha trembled. "He convinced the base that he was sending in reinforcements. All communication is halted to keep panic from spreading. He's…taking everything in carefully, as always. I'm just…so worried that I'll lose you…"

"Hera," he whispered softly in her ear. Robert was being spoken to by a drone from Osiris to keep him preoccupied. "I will come back to you. I left a portion of myself here. Ragland knows how to bring me back if something happens. If all goes well, I can simply rejoin with that piece, and I'll be fine. It's just a safety measure."

"You'll…be weak…if you are brought back…" she shivered. He hugged her tight and kissed her fiercely. "Please, Zeus…I just…our drones…if I give birth…"

"Don't let Robert fuck you until I get back," he growled. "I'm going to want to fuck you again when I do. And I do know this. I'll live. I've been through worse. I'm hard to kill. You know this, too. I have to stop this threat, myself. I have to prove my worth to you, and this will help solidify to the new Kings that I can't be fucked with. I have to fuck up this base by myself. Think of this as my badge of owner. I have to earn it. And I plan to keep it."

"Okay. How do you plan to approach the base?" she asked.

"I'll go to the island first. Hermanubis will have a helicopter prepped and waiting. I'll fly it to the base and infiltrate it. Don't worry. I'll be back as quickly as I can," he vowed. "Commander, I don't want you to fuck Agatha after she gives birth. You know I'm going to want her when I get back. Just focus on keeping her calm."

"What? Oh. Fine. I can wait," Robert nodded grimly. They finally started to see each other as brothers, but not quite at that particular point of trust. "Just watch your ass. You don't know who's going to want to fuck it if you bend over wrong."

"Fuck you," Alex grinned. "Do you know of this base?"

"Not really," Robert sighed. "It was much like this one. Hidden. Last resort shit if the shit hits the fan. Not much else to say about it."

"Right. Keep in contact with Osiris. If he can keep anyone from getting out, then it will make my job easier. Oh. Was this base something that John was working on?" Alex asked.

"Ah…" Agatha thought. "It was! I…!"

"What?" Alex asked as he looked at her with concern.

"It was…another experimental base…" she gasped. "Who knows what's found there!"

"Hmm," Alex mused. "If it's dangerous, I'll blow it up. No other choice in the matter. Does he know what was being made?"

"Alternates of myself," Agatha cringed. Now Alex looked at her with shock, and he reached out to the hive mind for clues and answers. The drone was discovered in that base. It was transferred in as another military soldier. Now it made sense. The rival anti-virus was able to reveal it when it got too close. Alex needed to kill the anti-virus the moment he found it.

"Is it underground?!" Robert asked.

"Yes. One of our drones was sent in, apparently. Routine transfer. The new anti-virus there was able to counter it just by being close. Our drone lost its shape. It was one of our scouts," she grimaced. "Osiris is letting me know. Who knows how many other bases like this are out there! A natural enemy to us!"

"Fuck!" Alex seethed. "We'll need to shut down all of them. And I need to be the one to lead the charge. It's something that I know of. But…I think I know why, too."

"Do you?" Robert asked.

"I got stronger off of Agatha rather quickly. I need to become immune to these anti-viruses, too. To kill them. To eradicate everything about them. I'll go after this base, but we need to have Osiris locate all of the hidden bases. Find out exactly what they have in them. Blue prints. Defenses. Everything. Research everywhere. If he has anything on this base, have him send the information to Hermanubis. I'll get what I need from him at the island.

"The more bases we can take out, the less of a resistance the military can use against us. If I have to, I'll bring back cellular samples. It's possible…maybe even a long shot…for Agatha to become stronger from them, too. Maybe even the current drones and breeders can benefit as well. But, I don't want what we have to become affected and crumble to pieces. We worked hard to get to where we're at. I don't want to start over. We'll have to see what happens. Right now, this military base needs to be shot down. I'll handle it."

"Ragland will prepare a place for the new cells," Agatha said when Hariti contacted her.

"Good. I'm going to the cryo tube now. The drone was discovered less than an hour ago before it was severed off. Robin will keep in contact with me. Same with Aden and Nick. Don't worry. I'll return to you. Maybe in one piece. Maybe reformed. But, I _will_ come back to you. I promise," Alex vowed. He moved to his mate's side and kissed her again to reconcile her before leaving for the cryo tube chamber. His first course of action was to get to the helicopter. Then it was to go to the base. Lastly was to acquire whatever he could, shut it down and get out alive. If he didn't, Agatha wouldn't let him live it down.

When he got to the island, Hermanubis was pissed. He wanted to go with Alex. As the one who enjoyed the thrill of the hunt, it was ingrained in him to try and tag along. Even as Alex growled at him, the breeder male said, "My King and Emperor, you know I can't let an opportunity like this pass me by! I'll be protecting you, too!"

"And what of Sigyn? What does she think? If you die, what will happen to her?" Alex countered with a sharp glare.

"I gave my cells to Ragland. He can bring me back. She knows this. You have to let me join you! I can help you!" Hermanubis pleaded.

"You're a pain in my ass!" Alex snarled at him. "Fuck it. Fine. You will stay in the fucking helicopter, though. You _will not_ under any circumstances infiltrate the base! You will only guide the helicopter and keep stragglers from leaving. Got it?!"

"Fuck that! I'm going in with you!"

"No! One man job! It will be too coincidental with more than one!"

"Not if I approach from an opposite side."

"We can't even talk to each other!"

"What do you think the fucking drones are for?! They can talk to each other for us!"

"Fuck me…" Alex sighed and shook his head.

"Besides," Hermanubis said sternly. "Osiris and Isis may be showing up there, too."

"WHAT?!" Alex gaped.

"Think about it," the breeder male said carefully. "They have the original bodies of that Commander and his assistant. This is supposed to be a base under their control. They can help us get in! Maybe as a form of an honor guard!"

"I…" he paused at the thought. "Fuck. Fine. We'll need to consume two humans with the proper uniforms. Good thing I have that Sergeant available as a frozen clone."

"That's not a problem. If we wait here, they will be here within the hour. Maybe even the next ten to twenty minutes."

"You fucking knew this and didn't tell me?!"

"Mother knew you wouldn't understand. I had to get in your face," Hermanubis smirked.

"Your mother is a bitch."

"Yeah. She knows," the breeder male grinned. That got Alex laughing and shaking his head. "We will let you get close to the target, but we have to be there in case the shit hits the fan. You know this. I know this. Even though we could be exposed, we can help you get out. Even if we die, we can still be brought back."

"I'm going with you," Sigyn said as she appeared next to them.

"No!" her brother growled.

"Fuck you. I'm going," she sniffed.

"Why?" Alex asked.

"You think I want him to have all the fun?!" she pouted. "Besides, he hasn't fucked me yet just for this moment. Osiris and Isis are doing everything they can to keep from fucking each other right now! And, yes, they have some of their drones with them, too."

"I didn't want a big group!" Alex scowled.

"My King and Emperor," she smiled softly. "Remember the bodies they have. It would be awkward if they _didn't_ have a protective group. We will fit right in with them. We go one way, you go the other with a 'direct order'. Get it?"

"I…oh…" Alex blinked at the reasoning.

"We will help you infiltrate and ensure you find the goal," she said with a small grin. "And we will assist in slaughtering everything. Granted, this new thing may hurt us. But, I don't think it can kill us yet. I don't think it's strong enough to do that right now. The scout was unable to hold its form. It wasn't killed off until we severed it from us. It was only discovered when it couldn't hide its identity."

"Agatha was the finished project," Alex mused now as he recalled Leopold's memories. "These other ones are just lesser versions. They were trying to be improved on in case Agatha failed. That makes more sense."

"We may not get stronger from it, but we may be able to help Mother get stronger," Sigyn giggled. "Yes, maybe you, too, but we'll have to see."

"All right. You both earned your passes to come with me. Just remember the deal. I take out the target. The rest of you will be distraction."

"That's fine," Hermanubis nodded. "As long as I get to help kill something."

"Fine," Alex snorted. Ten minutes later, the helicopter landed with Osiris and Isis. The drones they had were already in their soldier disguises. When the three of them boarded the aircraft and buckled in, their next destination was the hidden base.


	47. Chapter 47

When the helicopter landed, Osiris and Isis were using their disguised forms to perfection. Hermanubis and Sigyn were able to use their disguises from random soldiers that infiltrated the island. Alex still had the guise from Sergeant Thomas, but he knew he was going to need another one. Osiris already had the idea for him to gain the appearance of the head man in the base. That man was now being called for.

"I heard the alarm!" Osiris said in his Commander's guise. "I want to talk to Joseph! Now! I need an explanation!"

"Yes, Sir!" several soldiers said in unison. Low level grunts were easy to maintain. And, when they had their backs turned, the drones took them out to gain their appearances. Nodding now, they moved into the base swiftly. Isis kept writing notes on her pad, but it was mainly map documentation for Alex. Hermanubis was itching to hunt down humans, but Sigyn kept him under control with light reassurances. When they got to the office of the base's director, the man was gone. Where did he go?

"I can hunt him…" Hermanubis muttered.

"No," Alex growled. "He's my kill."

"Look," Isis said, as she pointed to a screen. "He's in the antivirus chamber! What is he doing? I don't get it."

Alex studied the screen intensely. Then he hissed. The man was trying to merge himself into the antivirus! "I gotta fuck him up! Now!"

"What's going on?!" Osiris asked.

"He's trying to boost himself off of that fucking antivirus!" Alex seethed.

"The camera displaying the room is in the center of this base!" Sigyn said.

"Everything gets fucked up from here. I don't fucking care!" Alex ordered. Osiris was now at the controls to study them. Isis was going through files and documents. Hermanubis and Sigyn were now able to finally hunt down and slaughter everything in their path that gave them resistance. Alex was able to find a map diagram and study it. Then he muttered to himself, ran into another chamber and consumed a lone scientist that tried to shoot him. "Much better. Now I know where to go. Okay, Joseph. Let's say hi."

He smirked and calmly walked towards the center of the base. His body started to burn, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. Sigyn was right. It was a lesser antivirus of Agatha. Maybe one of the weakest. That didn't mean it was any less dangerous. It had to be destroyed.

"That's right, my creation! Join with me! I will make you stronger!" the human said as he put himself into the tank. Unlike the other tanks, this one was only half the size of the normal ones. The top of the tank was lifted up to gain easy access. "The others would seek your destruction! I will have you thrive! Join with my flesh. We will show them what power you have through me!"

"So you think," Alex hissed as he dropped the form he had. Oh, he felt the burn from being close to the lesser antivirus. But he felt something else, too. His body was adapting to it. The blood he had taken in from Agatha was responding to become stronger than this lesser one. And when it got stronger, so did he. Right before the mad scientist's very eyes, Alex's form shuddered and shifted. His form got a touch leaner. His hearing even got sharper. He was now able to move faster and hear farther than before. Now he realized that he _had _to find the other antiviruses. He could evolve to become something even more. And his drones would benefit.

"What…are you…?!" the man asked with shock.

"Project Zeus. Your worst fucking nightmare!" Alex grinned wickedly and launched himself at the tank. Ripping the shocked human to pieces was easy. He did consume him, too, to learn what he needed to about the base. When he looked down into the tank, he noticed that the antivirus was a small blob of semi-formed flesh. And it was very sentient. It seemed to be huddled down at the bottom. It was scared. It almost reminded him of a child.

"My King and Emperor!" Hermanubis said when he walked into the chamber. He winced at the mild burn he got, but Alex held up his hand.

"I got this," Alex said. "Stay put."

"Of course," the breeder male nodded.

"Come to me," Alex said in the most soothing voice he could muster. He dipped his hand into the tank fluid. The small blob seemed to hesitate. Then a small tendril formed to carefully touch one of his fingers. "That's right. It's okay. Can you tell me what you know?"

He remembered that Agatha told him she was aware in her tank before any of the scientists knew. It was the same thing with this one. The blob couldn't talk, though. It wasn't even formed properly. He had to resort to memories. On closing his eyes, he pulled up what Joseph knew. The antivirus was clearly one of the last ones to be developed. It was an offshoot to just produce vaccines. It was one that was to be made for the general public. It clearly didn't like the fate given to it, and Alex actually sympathized with it.

Then he noticed that the small blob was able to feel what he thought. The tendril latched onto his finger and coiled around it. Agatha's blood was sensed in him, and it was using that to communicate to him through. Even though it was a lesser antivirus, it was still Agatha. Once the connection was established, he could reason with it. Now he could even sense that it was unhappy. That it knew it was made to be killed off when it was done with. With a mental thought that another chance could be offered, the small blob seemed to tremble with joy. It wanted to be something more. It wanted to join sides. Maybe, it could even merge completely to Agatha. It was something that would need to be experimented with on a cautious level.

When the other breeders and drones appeared, Hermanubis kept them back with a mental command. They watched their Emperor commune with the blob. More tendrils seemed to appear from it, and it pulled itself up to him. Then it started to coat over him.

"My King and Emperor!" Osiris hissed.

"It's fine," Alex said. "Get me a transport tank."

"You're not going to kill it?" Isis frowned.

"No. Think of this one as…a child. It's scared. I got stronger from it, but it's different from the others. Maybe they are all the same. Maybe not. This one wants to live. It was only designed for vaccine purposes only. It wants to be something more. Ragland may be able to help give it a form. A shape. Something. It clearly doesn't want what it was designed to be," Alex sighed. "I don't know if it will become something like your mother, but it wants to help us. It can help us get stronger. It wants revenge, too."

"Oh…" Sigyn frowned. "How will we get it to the base?"

"If we can find a small tank, we could have the helicopter transport it. I don't know if we can transfer it to a cryo tube, though," Alex admitted. "Unless we bring Ragland here first. Then we see what he can do. I'd rather not, though."

"Hariti really needs him," Isis agreed. "It doesn't have a shape?"

"No. It can't even stay out of the fluid for very long. It'll dry out," Alex frowned. Then he carefully ran a finger over a small tendril. "It's okay. We'll figure out something."

"Can it break off into smaller pieces for easier transport?" Hermanubis now asked. At this, the small blob thought. Then it started to do just that. It was designed to do this for quick dispersal. Alex grinned now. Smaller containers were quickly found, filled with tank fluid and various blob pieces were now sealed within them.

"It can reform later. I want to take as much of this fluid as possible," Alex said. More containers were found and filled until the tank was almost empty. "Get another helicopter here with space for transport."

"Already on its way," Osiris nodded. "I'm not sure how strong the containers are for deep sea travel to the base. What should we do?"

"We'll test one with just fluid in it. We can have a drone transport it first. If it works, I'd rather have the cryo tubes transport the actual antivirus pieces," Alex said.

"I don't even burn around it anymore!" Sigyn smiled.

"Good. Our drones will benefit," Alex nodded. "I want to find the other bases. I got stronger just by being around this one. My senses of speed and hearing also improved. I need the other bases. Osiris, you'll need to track them down to arrange visits. From what Joseph's thoughts tell me, the other bases are scattered everywhere. A trip to Japan will be needed soon. That's where the strongest antivirus off-shoot is located. I want that one out of the way. Fast."

"This one was the weakest?" Isis asked.

"It was. I can work with the next strongest antivirus form after that. From what I know, the others are just like this one. No shape. But, when it comes to the base in Japan, who knows what they could have done to have fixed that," Alex muttered.

"All too true," Isis agreed. "Hmm. The one I took over. Her brother might know something. Sakuma. I can have Amaterasu talk to him about what he remembers."

"Do that. We have an antivirus to transport," Alex nodded. A small transport car was found and now containers were hefted onto it to take to the base entrance. Hermanubis and Sigyn combed through the base to clean it out of every possible resource. Survivors were killed. Anything of a cellular database level was scavenged for transport. When the second helicopter arrived, Alex was pleased that it was a military cargo class Boeing CH-47 Chinook. It would easily carry what they needed. It could even carry what food supplies they had.

"I solved our problem with transport to the underwater base. I have the submarine waiting for us at the island," Osiris said. "It will be much easier to transport than waiting for cryo tubes. Don't worry. I, ah, took care of the monitoring crew."

"Excellent," Alex grinned. The next hour was seen to transporting the new goods, antivirus and supplies. And, for good measure, the explosion seen behind them was beneficial to their thoughts that the base could never be used again.


	48. Chapter 48

The moment Alex stepped foot onto the familiar base's floor, he went straight to his mate. He needed her. The moment she saw him, he was launched at to hug tight. The only thing that surprised him was that it was her hair that pulled him to her. Now he realized that she was in the throes of labor. She with-held giving birth until he got back. She was in birthing pains for the last hour and couldn't do anything about it.

"Hera! Why didn't…?!" Alex hissed.

"I couldn't…not without you here…" she whimpered. "Please…"

"I'm here now," he growled and moved to show he was ready. She cried out at long last when the eggs started to be delivered. Now he knew that he couldn't leave her when she was pregnant. She had to be empty of eggs or she would suffer if he took too long. He thought other drones could assist her. Her body instinctively refused to give up the eggs. The same thing would have happened to Robert if he tried to help her. It was an unexpected twist to her situation. Only after the eggs were finally delivered from her to the tentacles was he able to rock her and comfort her. Her body was still shivering from all the pain she went through.

"An hour…" she whimpered. "I went through an hour…of that…"

"I'll make sure you're egg free before I leave again. I promise," he muttered. "We'll spend today charting out the base in Japan. I know that John had other bases. I mentioned them before. And I know that cameras still need to be delivered to the island."

"Think about it later," she whispered and gave him a kiss full of need. As he finally showed how much he missed her, Amaterasu was talking to her mate.

"Ran is sleeping," she smiled. "Mother is finally free of her eggs."

"Good. It did worry me," Sakuma nodded. "None could help her!"

"I know. Oh! Um…can you tell me what you know of the hidden base? You may know of it," she said. "Your sister's memories do show that she did talk about it with you."

"Ah. Briefly, but yes. The main compound is actually under one of the main technical workstations that belong to my family. It will be hard to navigate through. Hikari did tell me that she followed John into once. Their last visit there. Father was with them. So…wait…"

"Your father knows?!" she gasped.

"He did…he fucking knew everything, too!" he winced. "Now that I think of everything she told me…I mean….what the hell am I supposed to think of now?!"

"Should we take him over?" she frowned.

"I don't know," he admitted. "What does Osiris know? Can you tell?"

"Good question!" she blinked and thought to the hive mind. "John never really showed your father much. He was only needed, since the base was to be built under the facility. Mainly for approval. Your father never knew why it had to be made. It was supposed to be for extra storage. But, that's what he was told. Um…now that's interesting…"

"What is?" Sakuma frowned.

"Your sister…her DNA was stored there! For a viable strand!" she gasped. "There may be another like Mother already there!"

"Are you serious?!" Sakuma fumed. "We need to destroy that DNA."

"Why destroy it?"

"I don't want my sister used for anything more to this. Granted, Isis took her over. I don't want my sister to be desecrated any further. I…owe her that much."

"Mother agrees with you," Amaterasu nodded. "We plan to go to Japan next, too."

"I'm going to do something. I need to talk to Alex," Sakuma said as he stood up. "You'll be all right here?"

"Yes. What do you plan to do?"

"Give him a little of my blood so he can get my memories. Maybe even one of his drones could do it. I heard it had happened before. I think it's needed. This way I can stay with you. He can plan out the next mission with what he learns from me."

"A drone is at the door," she beamed. He kissed her hard and walked out to the hallway. A lesser version of Nick nodded to show it was ready to collect the blood. A small amount was given over quickly. When Sakuma left to go back to Amaterasu, Alex studied the new memories he received. What he found out was a bit surprising.

"Okay," he muttered. "The base is located on one of the remote islands. Interesting…"

"It is?" Agatha blinked. "I thought it was in the mainland!"

"No. The entrance is in the mainland. An underwater chute leads to the base. Apparently, there is a specialized device that can get us there. It's also where the top secret weapons lab is. This is what I had gleaned from a drone from Osiris. From John's memories. From that technician, though…hmm…"

"More information?" she asked and nuzzled into him. He ran a hand over her developing belly as he thought over everything.

"Yes. Tell Osiris that it's known as Site Three. He needs to pull up everything about that base. Japan is a whole time zone away, too. I'll need to make sure you have no eggs in you. I don't want you to suffer like that again."

"Okay," she nodded.

"When you give birth to these, I'll have the Commander fuck you next. After those breeders are birthed, I'll head out. We'll plan strategically. Osiris and Isis may join me, too. Hermanubis will also insist to come along. I would send in the technician drone, but I don't want it discovered. We didn't get any extra vials of blood from the man, either. As much as I want to take a flight, the submarine will work. It will be faster than air. Maybe."

"More drones with you, too," she smiled. He nodded at that. "What is going on with the antivirus? Do we know?"

"Ragland is studying it. He wants to bring a small piece of it to you. But, it will only be done after you give birth to our drones. Should have done that first, but…well…"

"I'm sure he would understand the wait," she grinned and kissed him hard. As they tended to each other, Ragland was clearly floored with the small piece of antivirus that separated for him. The rest of it was in a small tank in a room with the rest of the cell cultures. It was about a foot and a half around in size. The part it gave over was a half-inch round sphere. It had to be held in the solution that carried it. Any air exposure could kill it off.

"Hmm…" Ragland mused as he studied it. "It's almost as though each piece is a sentient structure! It must be how it was easy to be separated and parted out to different labs. The larger the piece, the more powerful the being. And, if Japan has the most advanced one just under Agatha…very interesting, indeed."

"Dearest?" Hariti frowned as she walked over. Eir was being watched over by Karl. He was chosen to be her destined stud male. "Is something wrong?"

"No. The antivirus is very complex. It's going to take some time for me to study it. However, I do believe that it can merge back to Agatha rather easily. All of this is still 'her', if you think about it. As though it was separated from her as she was still forming. Is Agatha safe to approach? Or not right now?" Ragland asked.

"She is pregnant again. It wouldn't be wise. We should wait until she is free of eggs."

"True. Just to make sure the eggs won't be affected. Good idea," he nodded.

"There wouldn't be a vaccine for my King and Emperor, would there? In case this other antivirus is too much?" she asked.

"I'm afraid not. All Alex can do is evolve to become stronger. I would say to make Japan last, but he has a good idea. If he can take out this stronger antivirus, then the others wouldn't do much at all. I wouldn't trust Agatha to be there with him, either. If he can evolve first, then the other antiviruses out there can't do anything. He could even return to Agatha to see if he can evolve further if she does. That much is clearly a given. If I give her this piece and it enhances her, then he would need to be with her to evolve, too. It would go hand in hand. Who knows what the pieces away from her could unlock in her!"

"Just like how he increased his speed and hearing by evolving, too," Hariti nodded. "He plans to leave after the next batch of breeders are birthed. So, likely by tomorrow."

"That's fine. I'll work on trying to make him a stronger antiviral cure. I may be able to use Agatha's blood to help. Feel free to let him know."

"I already informed Mother, and she agrees. If you need more blood from her, I can get it. I would say to try with a fresh cell. There are a lot more of them now. Ah! Mother is agreeing! It may be stronger than her blood! My King and Emperor will assist in getting the cell for you. As we all know, only he likes to handle Mother's cells."

"Perfect!" he smiled and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I shall continue to work on this and see what a pure cell from Agatha will do."

"Of course, Brad," she giggled. "When Mother is stable, my King and Emperor will retrieve the cell you need. Within an hour, I think."

"He can take his time," he chuckled. As she left to see to Eir, he continued to run small tests on the tiny antiviral piece in the clear tube before him.


	49. Chapter 49

The moment Alex got Ragland the cell that was needed, he stayed to see what happened. He needed to know everything. Agatha was escorted with him to the lab to watch her mate get injected with the fresh antiviral cure to make him stronger. They wouldn't know if it worked, but they would see in time. Next was the wait for her to birth the drone eggs. While she was safely resting in the bed, Alex was in the control room of the lab and musing over the files sent to him from Osiris. Most of them were blueprints of the lab he had to infiltrate.

"My King and Emperor," Hermes said as he walked in. "What do you plan to do?"

"Study the fuck out of this base. I know Hermanubis is gonna want in. I know Osiris and Isis need to be there, too. Did Rhea give birth to her drones yet?" Alex asked.

"Funny you should ask. She did. They seem to have the same time-line of developing, too. About fifty of them, from what she was able to tell me. Cronus had to help her deliver them. This first batch seems to be waiting. Then, after two days or so, they may start to grow. Same thing with Mother. And that reminds me. Dana's pregnant again," Hermes chuckled.

"Good!" Alex grinned. "What's the status on the specialized breeders? How have they been developing?"

"Ah. Ragland will give Mother some of the sperm he made for you before Father is with her. Bruce should be able to get his breeder female to bond when she forms next in Mother. Osiris was thinking that, after this Japan base is seen to, that another raid is done on the island," Hermes thought. "He thinks it's important."

"No. Not until the other bases are dealt with."

"My King and Emperor, we need more stud males. You know this, too."

"Fuck…"

"And with how fast the Queens develop, you know we need more."

"Pain in my fucking ass…" Alex grimaced. He looked over when Geb appeared. "What is it? You have something to tell me?"

"Yes," Geb nodded. "Sekhmet and I have decided that we want to live in Japan. Since Steve is now fully secured with a breeder female, we want to see what else we can do. We could even go so far as to infiltrate Sakuma's family with drones. They have plenty of servants, and it would be easy to do to figure out what we need to do next."

"Hmm. What does Sakuma think?" Hermes asked.

"He doesn't know yet. I can have Amaterasu talk to him," Geb said.

"Do it. We know his father lied to him. If he wants more family secrets, it may be the way to go. We don't even know if his brothers or other family members were in on it," Alex said. "I don't want to touch his brothers, anyways. One of them won't even be useful."

"Yeah. We had that discussion," Hermes nodded. "The only way that one would work was if it was a drone that took him over. Huh. Now that I think about it…"

"What?" Alex asked now.

"He would be the safest one to get close to," Hermes smirked. "Let me talk to Sakuma."

"Fine," Alex snorted. When the breeder males left, he went back to scouring over the blueprints. At the sound of another coming over, he glared at the doorway.

"My Emperor," Cronus said as he came in.

"Cronus. What do you want?"

"I was hoping to come with you to Japan."

"For what purpose?"

"To hone my skills in battle."

"No."

"My Emperor…" Cronus frowned. "Why not?"

"Rhea needs you here. With her. Secondly, I am the badass. Not you. It's my fight. You will be leaving for the Australian base the moment I get back. Your first set of breeders will be ready. She could even be on the second set of them. Is she pregnant with them right now?"

"Right now it's happening," Cronus muttered. "I had to leave the room."

"Trust me. I know the feeling all too well," Alex nodded. "But the studs are needed."

"I know that, too. Do you think sperm could be created for me?"

"No. You know that your mother is the only one able to create the specialized breeders. If it was any other…she may feel that her job is done."

"That's right," Cronus cringed. "We can't have that."

"Exactly. You are strong enough as you are. However, there may be a time that I may call on you for assistance. Until then, you need to work on developing your army in the new base. Then you can start sending your breeders and drones into the Australian mainland to inhabit other far regions within the continent. Like I said, a set of breeders and a few of your drones will be here for me to speak with."

"Of course, my Emperor," he nodded and turned. Then he hissed in pain when Alex was at his back with a clawed hand sinking into his shoulder. His other clawed hand was ready to rip the rest of him in half if there was a struggle.

"And don't you fucking _dare_ think that you can replace me!" Alex snarled. "That's the other fucking reason you aren't joining me!"

"Yes…my Emperor…!" Cronus gasped when he was flung away easily. Alex was proving that he was stronger. That he was the better of them both. Cronus would regenerate quickly, but he was properly put in his place. At the sound of Agatha's shout, Alex narrowed his eyes and moved into her bedroom. His enhanced hearing had him prepared for the wrath she was going to give him. At her small glare, he crossed his arms over his chest.

"That was uncalled for!" she scowled. She was too heavy to move. "He only wanted to help! There was no need for you to injure him!"

"Hera…" Alex said softly to calm her. "I only did it because…think about it. What happened with me when I went to the last base? I evolved. Right?"

"Yes…" she shivered.

"I don't want any new Kings to have that advantage. Yes, they will need to get stronger, too. But not at the source. We have to control their strengths. Do you see why? I had to show him that I meant business. It will always be that way. There was no other option," he soothed. She sighed and nodded. She hated to admit that he was right. He was the Emperor. No other could ever become stronger than him. "He'll heal up just fine with a good sized steak. I'm sure he's healing right now before seeing to Rhea."

"He is," she frowned. Now he moved to sit next to her and rest a hand on her belly.

"You are my equal. My mate and Empress. I will kill _anything_ that fucking tries to touch you!" he growled and kissed her hard. "And I know that you will do the same for me."

"Without a single thought," she growled and kissed him back. "As for the idea on taking over that one family member of Sakuma's…"

"The one that likes men?" he smirked and nuzzled her neck.

"Yes. Sakuma…actually agreed to it. He mainly squanders away money from his father like nothing. Like a leech, from how the man is being described. Even his father isn't too fond of this one. However, I think, instead of squandering it away, the money gets sent here," she grinned. "If not solid cash, maybe in trade supplies and artifacts. Sort of like the usual fancy gift he would get for a lover, but worth an insane amount of money."

"Really?" Alex mused.

"And I think another drone should take over a random male to be that destined drone's 'date'. It would work. No pregnancies. No marriage. Just a feel of being in a relationship."

"The only time they would need to act would be in a public setting," Alex mused even more. "I like the idea. I don't care to see it, but I do like the ruse."

"Much like how John and Lynette were always together, it could be the same with the drones. A breeder set could be used, though. I'm sure a female could take on the appearance of a male, but I'm not sure. What do you think?"

At a knock on the door, Alex gave a mental nod to Robin. Geb and Sekhmet walked in to sit down and talk to them. Agatha blinked at what they wanted, and she found herself giggling.

"Let us do that job," Sekhmet chuckled.

"Really? You would become the form of a man?" Alex grinned.

"My King and Emperor, I'm sure you became the form of a woman before, too. I'm sure you had to in order to get certain things done. Even to get close to others, or to blend in, right?" Sekhmet grinned back. At the look Alex gave next, Agatha died laughing.

"You're a bitch," Alex scowled at her.

"And you love me for it," Agatha giggled again.

"Fine. The two of you can tag along. Actually, go to Japan first. Secure the home needed as a new base of operations. Learn what you can. I'll give you both three days. It will give Cronus and Rhea time to settle into the Australian base and report any issues. I may have two breeder sets done by the time you report back. If that's the case, Osiris might be able to send over a raiding party to the island. I'm sure Hermanubis is bored out of his fucking mind."

"My Empress," Kim said as it walked in with a massive slab of cooked Hunter heart. I barely fit the platter it was served on. "This was just delivered from Hermanubis."

"That's the largest fucking piece of heart I've seen yet!" Alex said with disbelief. "I wonder now…could it be possible…"

"What?" Agatha asked as she started to tear into the heart slice.

"I want to try stunning one of those Hunters and set it loose in Japan," Alex grinned wickedly. "It would keep those military dickheads away from us…"

"Hermanubis is up to the challenge!" Geb said as he grinned just as wickedly. "He is now requesting strong sleeping drugs and tranquilizers!"

"Hariti will see about getting Ragland to develop some," Sekhmet smiled. When Robert walked in, he nodded to them all and rested a hand on his son's shoulder. At the size of the nearly demolished Hunter heart slab, he now realized how big the viral monsters were getting.

"I was just told what's going on. Alex, is it possible for you to create a hive in Japan?" Robert asked. "I'm not sure if it's possible…"

"No. I can't create something like that. But, if we can transport a couple of those large fuckers to the Japanese mainland, then it would give us something to watch on the live video feeds," Alex snickered. "It would also draw attention away from me when I need to get into the base. What would be the bigger threat? Something destroying the city and causing mass mayhem? Or something sneaking in that they can't detect, anyways, and not damaging property? You would think that they would want to calm the public first to keep riots down."

"Ah! Distractions! I can see that now!" Robert blinked at the logic. "If we can drug up even two of those nasty motherfuckers, I could see where the best place to put them would be."

"Do it!" Alex grinned.

"Let's see if Hermanubis can catch one first," Robert smirked. "I'll study some maps."

"I'll join you," Geb nodded. "I need to see where Sekhmet and I can live."

"I want to help!" Sekhmet said, and she jumped up to walk with them.

"We'll see what they come up with," Agatha smiled.

"Of course," Alex muttered and kissed her. Robin had already secured the door for them.

"So, Zeus, how many women did you become?" she grinned. "You have me curious."

"You're a bitch!" he snarled and claimed her to neatly shut her up.


	50. Chapter 50

Osiris was going over various files that contained profiles of hardened soldiers in the den. He was also thinking of what he had to do when it came to transporting even one of the massive Hunters from the island. He was deep in thought about everything, and he sighed to himself on the issues he mulled over. Isis came up to him to press against his back and run her hands over his broad, lean shoulders. He leaned back into her with a small smile.

"Free of eggs already?" he mused.

"You helped me with that just a moment ago. I just finished healing from all the stretching," she smirked. Then she frowned at his thoughts. "Don't beat yourself up over this, brother love. We'll figure something out."

"I know. I just…I feel that there's something there. We just aren't grasping it! Hmm."

"That's right! Demeter and Hephaestus are already in Japan! So are Hades and Hathor, too!" Isis blinked. "They've been scoping out various sections, too, huh? They even have a safe house in the countryside. A few places, actually."

"That they do. One of their safe houses isn't too far from the base we need to reach. And they gave me an awesome idea," Osiris grinned.

"Oh?" she chuckled and got pulled into his lap to get fondled.

"We send in a raiding party for 'samples' of the large Hunters. We let them take down what they can. Hermanubis can lure the fuckers out into the open. We have plenty of tissue samples from the hearts they give Mother. We can have Ragland test the tissues to see what drugs will work the best and the longest."

"Okay. But…what about transport?" she muttered at the massage he was giving to her breasts and thighs. At the sharp gasp she rewarded him with when he started to rub between her legs, he gave a slightly wicked grin.

"We still have the drone bearing Sakuma's form out there. We can let the drone drop in a word to Sakuma's father that his sister, you, of course, gave him a tip to collect a possible live specimen," he growled and nibbled over her jawline. "Have a few drones become part of the collection crew when they get the Hunter…"

"Let them fuck up the controls to let it run rampant in the city?" she giggled.

"Why the fuck not?" he mumbled and hissed at the small bite she gave his neck.

"Fucking is a key word here, isn't it?" Isis grinned and shrieked when Osiris finally snapped, set her on the desk and started to take her right there. Now that they were neatly preoccupied, Agatha was telling Alex everything they sent to her.

"I like that idea," Alex chuckled.

"Amaterasu is telling Sakuma now," she smiled. "He thinks it may work."

"As much as I should be there to help with the transport, if it should happen, I should stay here. You need me," he frowned.

"No. You need to be there. You can take over a soldier and hide out in the ranks. I won't let Robert fuck me until you get back. You need to ensure that the Hunter will distract when you are ready to infiltrate the base. Hermanubis is going to be with you, too. You can meet up with Hephaestus and the others out there, and they'll help you get into the base. I'm quite sure that Osiris and Isis will be there, too. Through them, I'll know that you're safe. Oh. That reminds me. Did you swap out that piece of yourself that you stored here?"

"Not yet. I'll do that now. You have another ten minutes until you give birth. Sekhmet and Geb will need to come with me, too, in order to get close to their new targets. And don't you fucking dare ask me what I know you want to ask me!"

"I wasn't thinking of anything," she winked. He smirked at her, kissed her roughly and left to swap out the piece of himself. He knew she was going to approach that piece of antivirus to see what happened. That would happen right after the eggs were out.

"There you are! New game plans?" Robert asked as he walked over to the lab.

"Yeah. Osiris and Isis suggested, to Agatha, of course, that a reconnaissance crew be sent in to try and help capture the biggest Hunter. Then, with the Sakuma drone, a tip is dropped to Sakuma's dad to help transport the fucker. You would think that Japan would be all for it. They may even have the ships available. Then, while during transport, we wake the fucker up. While it's causing the distraction, I slip into the base. We'll need to make sure that it wakes up close enough to the base entrance. I hope it all goes according to the plan."

"Right. What will happen with Agatha?"

"You will fuck her to get the next set of breeders made. Right after they get birthed, I'll be heading out. You don't touch her. This can also be seen as her time of relaxation from getting pregnant. It may help her feel that much more revitalized, too. Anyways, I'm swapping out a piece of myself. Then, after Agatha is egg free, she wants to meet that lesser part of herself. I need to make sure that she'll be all right."

"I'll be there, too," Robert nodded. "I'm sure many of the kids will want to be there, as well. I'll go wait in the cellular room."

"Fine," Alex nodded. When he left, Alex was able to absorb the piece he left behind. He gave a small wince as the portion got stronger and was forced to endure a brief flash of pain from the antiviral cures in his body. After it settled out, he was able to leave a new piece of himself in the small tank. Nodding to himself, he went back to Agatha to help her birth the eggs. Five minutes later, they were all out of her.

"Last one?" she gasped after the egg was removed.

"Yep," he nodded and set it into a tentacle. "Let's get you healed up. Then it's the antiviral chamber for a reunion."

"I hope I don't injure you," she frowned.

"It's doubtful. Ragland has been making cures for me up the ass. I'll be fine. I'm just worried about you. I don't want this thing to change you. I don't want it to make you forget anything. I honestly don't know what to expect," he admitted.

"I wonder," Agatha blinked.

"What is it, Hera?" he asked.

"When the bomb was removed, it also took out the parts in my brain that had me download my memories, right?" she asked. "Or was that left in?"

"That's a good question," Alex thought. "I would have thought that Ragland removed everything. Why do you ask?"

"Well…if something could be transplanted in again…" she thought. "Then uploaded into a computer so that, if something does happen, I could have my memories downloaded back to me. I mean…what do you think?"

"I don't like the thought of something getting implanted into you, but, when you put it like that," he thought. "We would need to see if it worked. Then the kids would need to reintroduce themselves to you so that you know who they are. Even in the hive links. From what we know, personal thoughts don't count. But, I wonder if a hive mind is different…"

"I'm sure nothing like that would happen, but it's just in case something does happen. You know? Let's see what happens with this antivirus section. If my thoughts are wrong, then we won't worry about. But, if it's true…"

"Okay," Alex nodded.

"I love you, Zeus," she smiled.

"I love you, too, Hera," he said with a light smile. He kissed her hard and forced himself back. Being egg free, even for a short while, was going to kill him if he wasn't careful. The first stop was the lab to contact Ragland, but he was already made aware from Hariti. Karl was watching over Eir. Dana and Hermes were in the chamber now, and he had a protective hand over her belly. Cronus was even there with Carlos. Rhea was safely tucked away in her room with developing breeder eggs. Apollo and Dionysus had to be there. Athena and Aphrodite were too heavy with eggs to move.

Geb was able to appear with Sekhmet. As much as Geb wanted to, Sekhmet was forcing him to keep her egg free. She would be able to be with him after this. Quite a few breeder sets were still there and present. Most of them were still newly hatched and wanted to see what happened for themselves. Robert was, of course, in the room. He didn't know what to expect.

"I hope Mother will be all right," Hermes frowned.

"She'll be fine," Dana smiled and leaned into him. He ran a hand up her side to squeeze her. "And don't worry. If anything happens, you can take me back to the room."

"Deal," he smiled and kissed her forehead.

"The tank is ready," Ragland said. He was able to grab the small antiviral piece and, before he could put it back in the tank, Alex stopped him.

"Give that to Agatha," Alex said.

"Ah! As a test! Yes, of course," the doctor nodded. He presented the small container to Agatha, and she took a deep breath to calm herself. She actually felt a direct kinship with it. She knew that this was a part of her that was missing. It never affected her before, but just by being near it, she knew she needed it back. She placed her fingers into the container, but nothing happened. She blinked and thought.

"It can't merge?" Alex frowned.

"I…oh! I'm doing it wrong," she smiled. She focused on her hair and let a tentacle reach in to snatch up the piece. She had to consume it. Once the piece was absorbed, she staggered and coughed. Alex narrowed his eyes and held her, but it was over quickly.

"Mother?!" Apollo asked with concern. Dionysus had his jaw dropped. Her other children were stunned. For just a brief moment, her connection with the hive mind was severed. Then it was reformed. She held up her hand to show she was fine.

"I'm okay," she said with a nod. "It's just balancing myself again. That's all. I may have to take in small segments. I'm not sure with the stronger one."

"We lost you from the hive link," Dionysus winced.

"She was blocked?!" Alex gaped.

"Not really blocked. More like…temporarily put into a stasis. Much like how you are when you get frozen in the cryo tube," Apollo said, as he put it into a more detailed explanation.

"She came back to us when her body balanced," Hariti nodded. "We don't know what will happen if a larger piece is taken."

"Let me try with the rest," Agatha said.

"Should be in pieces," Alex muttered. She smiled and stroked his cheek gently.

"I'll be fine," she smiled. He kissed her and nodded. She approached the small tank where the rest of the small piece of herself was. It was ready to join her. When she let another tentacle slip into the solution bath, it coiled around the small piece. When it absorbed into her hair, her body went rigid. The reason why she lost part of the hive mind was because she was trying to get memories. The small part she recently took didn't have it. Now that she was able to get the rest of it, she had gained the memories that the small piece had. She now saw what it endured. She let out a cry of hatred and intense livid rage.

"Agatha?!" Alex hissed.

"Kill…all of them…!" she seethed. Her children were tense with their own rage. "All of those motherfuckers…they all need to die…!"

"My King and Emperor, take blood from me!" Apollo said. He exposed his wrist. Cronus was about to let him take blood, but he relented. He glanced over at Carlos, and even he could feel the rage the others were going through. Robert could clearly see that something bad had to have happened. The moment Alex took the blood from the breeder male, he stood still. He gleaned the memories. Then he looked at Agatha with a rather thoughtful expression.

"Send a mission to Osiris," Alex said lightly. "To locate every single scientist that was a part of your creation. Every single man that dared to touch your various forms. All of them."

"What happened?" Robert frowned.

"This small piece of her…" Alex said with a quiet form of rage. "They tried to fuck it. To force it to breed. They raped it. They tried to give it a form and, when it was solid enough, they tried to see what they could do. When it couldn't be bred out, they abandoned that part and focused on cures. It lost its shape after that. It's also why it was so scared at the bottom of the tank. The fucker that tried to merge with it was one of them."

"You're kidding…" Robert paled.

"No. But, unknown to them, it kept the one thing it could to try and gain vengeance if it got strong enough. It kept DNA samples from every single man that touched it," Alex smirked. "Agatha, can you extract that part? To help us find them? We may have killed most of them at that base, but this will help us find the ones that got transferred out."

"I…" she shivered and held out her hand. A small, multi-colored sphere of goo appeared. Each color contained a small fragment of DNA. There were quite a few colors. Hariti was able to collect it to take to the lab for analysis. Agatha was still shaking with horror and anger. Alex was now at her side to hug her and calm her down. At a glance to Cronus, the young King took that message all too well. He muttered to Carlos, and the stud male left quickly. Any human, other than Robert, could be seen as a threat right now. Even with her blood in their system. Dionysus kept a hand on his father's arm to show he was safe and protected. Apollo did the same thing. On seeing that, Alex nodded and returned his complete focus to his enraged mate.

"Let me be the one to get vengeance for you," he whispered.

"I know…I need breeders…but…" she winced.

"Robert, you're delayed another seven hours. It will give Osiris more time to send in a crew of men to help with the Hunter," Alex muttered.

"It's fine," Robert nodded. Even he knew that Agatha needed her mate. Alex scooped her up and took her into their bedroom. Geb and Sekhmet were glancing at each other.

"Do we make eggs now? Or do we wait?" Sekhmet asked.

"Let's make an army," Geb nodded. "The new drones will help us in tracking down the ones that violated Mother. Even though it wasn't her, it was still a part of her. Who knows what other parts of her were touched? We will find them all and bring them all back to Mother!"

"I think all of the drones from this batch are going to see to that," Dionysus smirked.

"As will mine with my next batch," Cronus mused.

"I'm taking you to bed," Hermes said to Dana when he scooped her up. He had an uncontrollable urge to protect her now. Even she didn't argue with him. When he got like this, it was pointless to argue over an instinctive response.

"Cronus, what do you think will happen now?" Robert asked.

"All hell will break loose. You know. The usual bullshit," the young King grinned wickedly. Then they all dispersed to their rooms to plan out the Hunter extraction to Japan. The sooner it got done, the sooner Alex could get to Japan to find out what happened to Agatha's next strongest section. Even Osiris was fearing the worst. If Lynette's DNA strand was already introduced, who knows what they would find there?


	51. Chapter 51

Five hours later, a drop plane let down fifteen soldiers. The military was shocked at the report that Osiris gave out that stronger Hunters were being found. A camera was successfully installed, and Hermanubis was able to get in an up-close shot of the latest monster. Of course, when a threat of this scale was seen, how else was the military supposed to respond?

"Sir! Where was this fucker located?!" a masked soldier asked.

"South bound. Along the coast," the squad leader snorted under his mask. None of them were informed of the previous failed missions. There was no need to tell them anything. However, the Sakuma drone had gained a copy of the image. A phone call to Osiris was done, and arrangements were made by Sakuma's father to try and gain a specimen. He saw it as a new weapon of war, and he had to send his own group of his military's finest.

"Sir, what are waiting for?" an anxious soldier asked.

"Back up. We are to rendezvous with them here," the squad leader replied.

"Where are they coming from?" he asked.

"Japan. Don't give me any looks! I'm just taking orders like the rest of you! The guys being sent in could be our rivals. Just fan out and keep sharp! Don't go alone!"

"Sir, yes, Sir!" they all said as one. Two drones were watching carefully and made a distraction to get two of the soldiers away from them. They were easily taken over and replaced. Now with the spies in place, the hive mind began to lure in the larger Hunters. Hermanubis smirked from where he watched everything from the hospital cameras. He was impatient.

"Brother, dear," Sigyn giggled and rested a hand on his shoulder. She was pregnant again and not allowed to join the hunt.

"These humans are assholes. I want them all to die," he growled.

"And the Japanese men on their way here?"

"One of them is a woman."

"Oh? Now that's odd!"

"Best sniper in their field, apparently. Took out their best guy in a target scope test."

"What do they plan to use her for?"

"To snipe from the helicopter. Shoot the drugs in. This is what our infiltrated drone is telling us. We did have Osiris send out samples of the Hunter hearts to the Japan lab, so they were able to help Ragland, if not directly. Sakuma still has doubts."

"Does he?"

"Yes. He doesn't trust his family. I don't blame him."

"He would object to us killing them off?"

"He doesn't care. He does seem to have a soft spot for his mother, though. We'll see what happens. The Hunters are being lured into position right now. We found four of them. We'll keep the largest one alive for the transport for distraction. I do wonder which team will survive," Hermanubis grinned wickedly.

"Better than watching a soap opera?" she giggled.

"Soap operas are the equivalent to fake reality television. You think something good is going to happen, but it just turns to shit in the end. Why bother with it? Ah! Good! The Japanese finally decided to show up. Let's get the Hunters out of hiding. I think one of them is a jumper. And they brought a transport ship! Impressive!"

"We could use one of those," Sigyn mused.

"That we could. While they are distracted here, a scout will take out the Captain on board. Then we can pick off the rest! I see the woman on their helicopter now. Hmm. Sigyn, do you notice anything about her? Something seems very off."

"What?" she frowned. She studied the close up image in the camera and paused. "She looks like Mother! But, of a different origin! Why?!"

"I think we may have answers if we catch her," Hermanubis growled. The hive mind was now alerted to catch the female. Even Agatha was clearly disturbed and gave a thought that her lesser antivirus may have begun to breed out. Alex was livid.

"She's not as beautiful as Mother is," Sigyn muttered.

"No. But I don't like what I'm witnessing. I'm catching her, myself. We need to get that helicopter to lower a bit more. I'll be back swiftly."

"Be careful," she nodded. He kissed her and jumped out the window. Now he smirked and took out a compact mirror to flash at the helicopter in the sky. He was purposely blinding the woman to irritate her and catch her attention. It was easy to dodge the bullets she sprayed after him. When the helicopter was ordered to chase and follow, he ducked behind a ventilation shaft. When it moved past him, he jumped out, used his whip claw and hauled himself onto the contraption. At his feral grin, the odd woman dropped her jaw with disbelief.

"_Hello. You are my prisoner. Come with me now or die,_" he said in flawless Japanese.

"_Fuck you!_" she scowled. He plastered her down with his viral tissue and took out the pilot. She had no chance up close. Unlike Agatha that excelled in close range and long range attacks, this one was only good at long range. He could swear that she resembled his mother with distinct Japanese features of slanted eyes, black hair and tanned skin. Her body was smaller, though, and far more slender. She resembled Lynette. Agatha was seething through the hive link, but now she wondered. Did they send her deliberately? Or was this a clone?

Hermanubis vowed to find out. Now that the woman was subdued, he found it odd that she wasn't giving out any form of pain to him. He'd get that answer later. He did think it was strange that she had no other viral traits. His mother could have used her hair to counter with. This one seemed far too human. It annoyed him. At a thought that Agatha gave him, he moved quickly and knocked the woman out. She had given him the thought that the woman could be tracked much like Agatha was when she first started. If something was implanted, they could take no chances on being spied on.

On gleaning from the hive mind that the transport ship was in their control, he gave a small nod. The woman was taken up after the helicopter was landed and taken to the hospital room to be set as a wall hanging for now.

"She's ugly," Sigyn muttered at the unconscious woman.

"I know. I have two parties to kill off. Or have them kill each other off. Now that we have a transport ship and another helicopter, we don't need the humans. We can keep the survivors as stud males, maybe. We'll see what happens," Hermanubis smirked. His sister beamed at him and got squeezed. He was soon out the window again, and she was studying the plastered woman against the wall. Agatha wanted to slaughter her. It was an instinctive act to preserve herself, and Sigyn was fighting the urge to help her with everything she had.

"Be glad that Mother wants to kill you personally. If there are any others like you, they will all die," Sigyn growled. Several of her drones pulled her away at Hermanubis's urging. Agatha would be rather pissed if she couldn't take out the woman to avenge herself.

She was led back to the camera screens to watch four nasty Hunters simply demolish all of the soldiers. The drones in the American group started to call slanderous, racial remarks to the Japanese soldiers to trigger a small war. Their shouts of outrage gave themselves away to the Hunters. Nothing survived when it came to humans. The tranquillizers were found and Hermanubis was able to jump onto the back of the largest Hunter to inject them in. The other drones were quick to tear the other Hunters to pieces. Once the massive Hunter was secure, the transport ship was clear to dock and pick up the new cargo.

More drugs were used to keep the Hunter down. Steel cords were bound over the hulking beast to restrain it. Right when that job was done, Hermanubis noted the cryo tube. Another one had appeared next to it. He grinned wickedly when Alex came out. It took about thirty minutes to tie down the Hunter, but he wasn't going to complain. Agatha couldn't appear, so Alex had to go for her. It was safer this way.

"I have three hours before your mother gives birth. I want to see the bitch," Alex growled. Hermanubis bowed respectfully and led him to the hospital. The viral tissues were removed for him to get a good look at the woman.

"Can I kill her?!" Sigyn growled.

"Now, now," her brother grinned. "Let our King and Emperor assess her."

"Hmm…" Alex thought and scratched the woman's arm open to get some blood. When he tried to glean memories, he was now alarmed. There were no memories. It was as though the mind was always kept blank. It made no sense to him. "She has no memories."

"Impossible!" Hermanubis said with disbelief.

"I'm serious. It's as though her mind is constantly wiped clean. Or…it was just wiped clean when she was caught," he said as he thought aloud. The woman suddenly groaned and looked up at him with dark brown eyes. He felt disgusted. This woman had Agatha's face, but none of her true beauty. "I'm Project Zeus. What the fuck are you?"

"Hopefully she understands English," Hermanubis muttered.

"I do…understand. I am…Project Hera…" she whispered.

"A fucking lie! Project Hera is my mate and safely hidden away! You are a byproduct from her! A weaker portion from her! What. The. Fuck. Are. You?" Alex hissed.

"One of many…" she trembled. She didn't know she was a weaker form. It was only proven by how Alex wasn't even affected by her. The single, pure cell of Agatha completely enhanced him to a whole new level.

"How many?" Alex asked with a glimmer of rage.

"Twenty of us now."

"You have no memories."

"A main computer directs us. Everything I learn, it holds and sends out to the others."

"You are the weakest?"

"None are weak. We all have our own strengths."

"My King and Emperor, if what this outrage has said, then they now know of us. What do we do?" Hermanubis asked.

"Set an example," Alex grinned wickedly. His hammer arms came out and he crushed in the woman's head to kill her off. He felt his body evolve slightly to have a longer range attack if he used his whip arm. Now he knew it was crucial to kill them all. He would gain their skills.

"Twenty of those whores?!" Sigyn seethed.

"Yes. We continue as planned. Send this corpse to Ragland for study. It's why the other cryo tube is there. Have the Hunter in a suspended mode of sleep with the drugs. The moment your Mother gives birth, I wanted her to get pregnant with breeders. When those are birthed, I'll board the transport ship to go to Japan. We need to track down nineteen of these bitches. Send the word to any in Japan right now. This needs to be done."

"Yes, my King and Emperor," Hermanubis nodded.

"And you bet your ass you're coming with," Alex grinned. The breeder male grinned a bit more and nodded. He loved to hunt. He proved it every day.


	52. Chapter 52

Agatha couldn't even see the abomination until the eggs were out. Alex forbade it. She already had an idea of how to test and see if any of her viral tissue was truly in the corpse.

"What do you have in mind?" Robert asked. Robin was listening in to report to Alex.

"The tentacles of my hair are like blood hounds. I found it out with the smaller piece of me. If that thing just has my face and form, I'll know. If it's another part of me, I may be able to extract what part of me is trapped away. It's something I know I can do. Instinctive. I'm starting to wonder if they still have the true piece of me locked up and just using various parts of it to enhance clones. The lesser memories are hinting something like that to me now," Agatha blinked at what she went over.

"You think so?" Robert thought.

"I'm starting to believe it. When the lesser part of me couldn't reproduce from being too small, they tried to use small parts of it in various ways. When it got less and less, they stopped. In the end, it just became something for antiviral uses. The parts that came from it were too weak and died off. They had to keep what they had alive in order to continue getting funding."

"All that for money," he muttered. When Robin opened the door, he turned to find out what it was. Agatha looked over now with a small smile.

"My Liege is returning," the drone said. "My Empress, do you need anything?"

"A cooked steak would be appreciated," she nodded. "Thank you."

It was delivered quickly and demolished just as quickly. When Robin suddenly blocked the door, Robert was there to find out why. When he saw it was Bruce, he gave the nod to show it was fine. He waved the man in to follow and gestured for him to sit in a chair.

"My Liege is on his way back," Robin said. "He is now frozen."

"Thank you. You're, ah, Bruce?" Agatha smiled.

"Yes. Um…when do you plan for me to help?" he asked.

"After this next birth of eggs, an egg will be made for you. You'll be called on when its ready for you to bond with it. Have you heard of what was found on the island?" she asked now.

"Bits and pieces," he said. Now he was informed, and even he was appalled. "I won't be allowed to join, will I? I'll be stuck here."

"If you have an egg that wants to bond with you, there will be no way you can leave," Robert frowned. "However, you may be able to help with camera feeds."

"You think so?" Bruce grinned. "It would be nice to do somethin' worth my time."

"Come with me to my room. You may be able to help me set up something for Alex and the kids to use. If you're as good in reconnaissance as you say, we may be able to set up something. Alex can't hear what my kids say. He needs a form of communication with them."

"I get ya," Bruce smirked. "Ear buds tend to work best."

"Osiris can help us get what we need. We'll brainstorm," Robert chuckled. They walked back to his room where Apollo was waiting to help them. Now that Agatha was alone, she made a deep sigh and ran a hand over her swelling belly. She was very worried over Alex leaving her for so long. He was going to make sure that Cronus was gone with Rhea as a precaution. The last thing he wanted was for her to instinctively take another King as her mate with him gone. They had discussed it at length. They didn't want to take the chance.

"Mother?" Dionysus asked when Robin let him in. "Everything will be fine."

"I don't know that," she trembled. He walked in to sit with her and hug her.

"We won't let Father be with you while my King and Emperor is away," he whispered. "We'll have the young Queens keep you company. There will be no need to worry."

"I do know that," she nodded. "What do you think of the thing being brought back?"

"I want to obliterate," Dionysus growled. "To know that parts of you are being desecrated like that…it's disgusting! We'll find out what it's all about. You can trust me in that. We all want answers. We'll get them."

"We will," she sighed and leaned into him. He gave a soft smile and paused. She was treating him like Alex. His eyes widened and he carefully pulled away.

"Athena needs me. I need to see her," he said softly. She nodded with understanding. As he thought to the hive mind at his retreat, the realization struck them all. She was thinking that Alex was going to leave her for too long. Her body was instinctively testing any that could replace him. This included bonded breeder males. In Rhea's room, Cronus was agitated. As a King, he knew that he should be the one to replace Alex if something went wrong.

"Cronus…" Rhea winced. "You need to be with me."

"Rhea," he frowned with his deep tone. "I know I am bonded to you. I will leave with you, too. But do not think for an instant that I would be forced to return. It would be too hardwired in me. An Empress like her would need a proper King to replace the Emperor if something happened. I know that my Emperor is stronger than me. Far stronger. But, I am the only King right now. Who's to say that she would create a King for herself? Your father could even become a prime candidate, too. Any of the breeder males would be at risk."

"Cronus, you are made for me!" Rhea hissed. "You are my mate!"

"And would you have our Empress be without a mate?" he growled.

"I have your eggs in me now," she said. "My first breeders were birthed. Would you rather have Carlos be the one to constantly have me?"

"You would dare…" he snarled and cringed. The thought of a human stud constantly having her made him fume. She was right. He couldn't leave her. At least, not alone with the stud male. A deep sigh escaped him, and he let her hug him tight. He hugged her just as tight.

"We'll leave right after these eggs are birthed," she whispered.

"Fine," he nodded. He listened to various thoughts in the hive mind. It was agreed to only have drones tend to Agatha until Alex got back from the cryo tube. After what was witnessed with Dionysus, it was the safest thing to do. Even Agatha was forced to agree. The time passed slowly for the wait on the cryo tube. The moment it appeared, Alex was livid at what he learned through his drones.

"I think a meeting with every viral male is needed," he muttered. He sent the mental notice and moved straight into Agatha's room. The drones left to leave them alone. "Hera. It's not your fault. You had no control, right?"

"Zeus…" she shivered hard and looked quite scared. That gave him pause. He knew she had no plans on being with one of her sons. Or any others. "I really wish…that you didn't have to leave. That none of this had to happen…"

"Hera," he smiled softly and was soon at her side to let her snuggle into him. He rocked her with relief that she still clung to him. No one could ever replace him. "I'm not leaving until your next breeders are birthed. I'll make sure that only females can be with you to keep you company until my return. You know I have to stop this threat personally. I evolved when I killed that abomination of you. As of now, the other things are being tracked. There are more drones in Japan than we know."

"I know there is," she nodded. "It's just…knowing you will be away from me…"

"I'm having a nice talk with the others now."

"Don't kill anyone…"

"You have my promise. Only if they touch you will that happen."

"I don't want anyone killed."

"It will happen if any of them fuck you while I'm gone."

"I…" she frowned hard and pressed her face into his chest.

"Don't think about it right now. Like I said, I'm not going to leave until your next breeders are birthed. And don't forget, Hera. I have a part of myself here, too. I'll swap it out. If something happens to me, that piece will be used. The drones should still be able to inform me of what happened. I'll still remember everything."

"And then that piece of you will go back to Japan to claim vengeance on whatever killed you," she winced. He gazed down at her and sighed.

"You're supposed to be a bitch. Not a wise ass," he grinned. She gave a small smile and took in a deep breath as she shook her head.

"I'll feel better when those bitches are dead," she growled.

"There you are," he smiled and kissed her passionately. "Don't worry, Hera. The one I killed seemed quite surprised that she wasn't a true project. I'll find the computer that hordes the memories and have it sent here. We'll go through it piece by fucking piece to find out what happened. If there is a main part of you, I'll see if I can talk to it. The cell you had me consume of you completely evolved me. It should be easy to confront that part."

"I can only hope," she nodded. "And don't worry about Osiris trying to lay claim to me. Isis has him on a leash. Literally."

"I don't need to know that!" Alex groaned to get her laughing.

"Okay. Go talk to my sons and come back to me," she smiled.

"All right," he smiled back. They nuzzled and kissed each other again. Now that he was present, the need to test other males was gone. He was sure that the instinct would come back after a day or if she got worried. He would have to keep her constantly preoccupied while he was gone. When he walked out of the room, Robin was quick to barricade the door. Nick and Aden were there within seconds. Kim and Eddie were next to appear. Her elite guard was going to tend to her needs. No others would be permitted.

He walked into a conference room and glared at all of the breeder males there. Hermes, Apollo, Dionysus and Geb actually looked nervous. There were quite a few others that hadn't left yet. Cronus had his arms crossed from where he was near the back of the room. Alex's glare hit his gaze before sweeping to the others.

"We figured this was going to happen," Apollo nodded.

"Of course," Alex said dryly. "Dionysus. It was wise of you to leave when you did. Thanks. But, this warning goes to all of you. If any of you touch your mother while I'm gone, you're fucking dead. I don't care who you are. I don't care how much I appreciate you. I. Don't. Care. Your mother is _my_ mate! My Queen! My Empress! If it wasn't for me, none of you would fucking be here! If any of you need to talk to her, you will use the hive link. Do not, under any circumstances, approach her while I'm gone. Even your father is going to be kept back. I'm sure you all know this."

"We do," Hermes nodded.

"If I come back and she's pregnant, I will force her to abort the eggs," he growled. This had all of the males stiffen at once. "If there are eggs birthed, I will destroy them. If there are other drones or breeders, I will kill them off. Only I am allowed to fuck her. Now, if your father is able to be with her, I might be lenient with the breeders made. I still won't let him touch her. But, if other breeders are made by other stud males, I will destroy them and kill the studs."

"Understood," Cronus agreed. He would do the exact same.

"Cronus, your ass is going on a submarine after Rhea births her next set of drones. She has to go with you. I'm sure you know. And if you come back while I'm still gone, my drones will tell me. I'll kill you if you do," Alex warned. "You know I can kick your ass. Don't force me to do it. As much as I would enjoy it, Rhea wouldn't like it."

"I already had this discussion with her," Cronus muttered.

"Then you understand what I'm saying," Alex muttered back. "Anyways, I'm going back to your mother. Only disturb me if it's important. Let a drone do it. I don't fucking care. The Hunter should stay drugged up. Hopefully it won't die, but I doubt it will. Just keep it stable. We can only have it wake up when we're ready for it."

"Hermanubis is taking control of that," Apollo smiled. "He wants to be the one to tend to it at all times. If anything happens to it, you will be the first to know."

"Good," Alex said. Then he turned and moved swiftly back to his mate. Only after he left, the other breeder males looked at each other nervously.

"Have we detected where the other things were?" Apollo asked.

"Not yet," Hermes said grimly. "The drones are scouring everywhere."

"The sooner we find them, the faster our King and Emperor can return. I don't want Mother to start asking for me," Dionysus frowned. "I like having my ass attached."

"Don't we all?" Hermes sighed. "I better get back to Dana."

"I'll stay with Rhea. I would suggest that only our females keep our Empress company," Cronus said. "I'll be preparing for my transfer to the Australian base."

"You do that," Apollo nodded.

"I do want to see what that imposter looks like. At least what's left of it," Cronus said.

"I think that goes for all of us," Hermes said. "Dana…she understands. I'll go back to her until we are ready to help Mother."

They all nodded and dispersed. It wouldn't be until an hour later that Agatha was egg free and ready to confront what Alex killed. Ragland was right next to her to evaluate her.

"It's kept over here," the doctor said as he led them into the cellular chamber. The corpse was laying down in a small half-tube to keep from decomposing. Agatha studied the smaller body structure and what the face used to look like. She gave out an instinctive snarl, and her hair shifted into the lethal tendrils they were. Alex smirked and watched her tear the corpse apart. It was when she removed the vital organs that the heart was brought out.

"Mine!" she seethed and sank her teeth into it. That surprised them all. It was instinctive for her to claim the heart of her rival.

"Make a note. We save the hearts," Alex muttered out. "If we can save the corpses, we'll do that, too."

"Done," Cronus nodded. Osiris would see to it. Only after the heart was eaten did Agatha finally calm down. She stood up tall and glared at the dismembered corpse.

"Was there any part of you there?" Alex asked her.

"No. If there was, it's not enough for me to find. It was mainly just the structure of the body done. It…infuriated me. I had to claim the heart."

"Maybe it's the hearts that have the piece of you," Alex suggested. That had her blinking. He may have a point. She didn't feel any stronger, but it was just the fact that she had to consume it by eating it. She had to prove that she was the better. When Robert was told to be with her, Alex went over the ideas for communication with the breeders in the field. He was quite pleased with the results. Now, all they had to do was test them. That wasn't going to happen until after the new breeder eggs were developed.


	53. Chapter 53

Bruce was intrigued at how he had to bond with the breeder egg in her. It was when they were birthed, that he saw the developing female looked quite pretty. She wasn't beautiful, but with dark brown hair and pale skin, she looked rather slender. He was surprised. But the biggest confusion happened at an egg that was birthed next. It even shocked Ragland.

"There's no embryo in this one!" the doctor gaped.

"So we notice!" Alex growled. "What does it mean?!"

"I'm not sure. It's just…clear substance for an embryo," he frowned.

"Alex…I think I may have an idea…" Agatha smiled.

"Hmm?" Alex gazed at her.

"I think…it's for you," she trembled. "If something happened to you. You left a piece of yourself here, right? It may be to help you come back."

"Ahh!" Ragland beamed with the insight. "She made you something for your viral tissue to work with and grow with! It didn't happen before, though, right?"

"Not until after I ate that heart," she nodded. "I think that's the purpose of the rival hearts I eat. I am able to make one fail safe egg. So, if I eat another one…"

"It gives us a chance to be properly reborn," Alex mused. "Yes. We'll save the hearts from the other ones. With luck, this egg won't need to be used. We'll keep it here. Cronus already left with Rhea? I'm sure they left."

"They left an hour ago," Robert nodded. "Carlos had to go with them, of course."

"Good. One less thing for me to worry about. As much as I want to use the radios we've made, we'll use them for emergencies. Or just outside the base. When we get into the base, it's safer to stick to hive minds. We'll have two drones here to talk to each other in rapid fire speak. Several, if needed. They can be in this room with Agatha. If we need ideas, she can help us that way through them. I was thinking of how to get to Japan quickly."

"What did you have in mind?" Agatha asked.

"A jet. Osiris can bring one to me. I'll eject myself out and over the countryside where Hephaestus will wait for me. I have a drone with him to tell him where I'll be landing a parachute. Actually, fuck it. I'll just jump from the jet and let it explode. I've leapt from buildings before without a hitch. So, anyone that wants to help me needs to leave now. I need to talk to Sakuma. It's important," Alex said, and he rose up to kiss Agatha's forehead before leaving. "And, Commander, don't fuck her while I'm gone. She couldn't give birth to her eggs when I wasn't there. We don't want that to happen again. None of us want her to be in pain."

"That's right. I'll hang out with my kids," Robert nodded.

"Good," Alex nodded back. "Anyone else that isn't a drone needs to leave this room now. Or else I'll go on a killing spree."

"I'll work in my lab," Ragland smiled and walked out. Bruce was quick to leave the room. His breeder female would likely be brought to him to keep him out of Agatha's room. She would likely find him after she hatched, too. Robert was now checking on Hermes. The urge to be with Agatha would set in, and they all agreed to leave her egg free.

Sekhmet and Geb had already left to go to Japan to get a head start on infiltration. They did say goodbye to Steve before leaving. They would make sure to always contact him to see how he was doing. As much as they knew he was helping to make more Queens, they would always see him as their pet human. Amunet thought the whole thing was cute, and she would always joke behind Steve's back that she was playing as a pet-sitter.

While preparations were being made in Japan to ready things for Alex, the nineteen abominations left were now being tracked down. The Hunter was also being shipped off to an abandoned port. Hermanubis and Sigyn were taking full responsibility for it to have it ready to wake up at the right time. Osiris had already located the base entrance location. His drones were infiltrating it now and keeping tabs on any abominating versions they found.

Alex was able to mildly keep tabs on what various drones conversed to each other about as he walked to Sakuma's room. Ran opened the door for him and gasped at the sight of him.

"Ran, I need to speak with your father," Alex said lightly. She gave a small nod and fetched him. She was instinctively obeying his wishes. She knew he was dangerous if she refused. Sakuma was quick to appear, and Amaterasu was able to take over on comforting their daughter. With the door closed behind him, he was ready to talk.

"I understand you are going to Japan," Sakuma nodded.

"Yes. Geb and Sekhmet have left to take over your brother and claim his life. You're sure you don't care?" Alex grinned.

"Fuck him. He's already dead to me," Sakuma shrugged. Alex barked out laughter and crossed his arms over his chest. "It's Father I'm worried about."

"No need. The drones gave him the idea to ensure that there are no flaws in his creations. Apparently, he was the one that went ahead and used your sister's DNA without permission. When he learned how easy it was for me to kill one off, he's now trying to improve them. All the more for me. I'll evolve even faster," Alex grinned. "However, your mother is in the hospital. When I killed off a creation, he got pissed and backhanded her. It was so brutal that it snapped her head back. He nearly killed her."

"What…?!" Sakuma gaped.

"All she was doing was serving him something to drink. She became his target. When he saw what he did, he panicked. My drone was acting as one of his housekeepers and saw the whole thing. So, she's in a critical condition in a hospital. How do you feel about this?"

"Can you save her?"

"I'm not sure. I'm sure that Agatha's blood could do something, but she would need to be brought here. She could become one to make Queens. Your father was very efficient at keeping her youthful. If you don't mind her living here to help with Queens, I can see about something being done. Another like Hermes could be made for her. What do you think?"

"I want her safe. Even if she's here to help make Queens…I don't care. I want her away from my Father!" Sakuma growled.

"I'll have a spare drone take over the doctor in charge of her. She'll be transported to a submarine and held there until I'm ready to leave. We have a few subs now. I'll have a shot of Agatha's blood ready for her, but I won't give it over until my mission is done. We'll just keep her stable. As it is, she's unconscious. It's as though her mind is suspended from the shock its going through. Ragland may be able to help her if the shot isn't enough."

"Thank you," he nodded.

"I'll be going over by jet. The faster I get there, the better. I'd go the same way back, but it's risky. I don't want a jet to land in Japan. It would raise up some questions. The jet will explode in the air over the ocean after I jump from it. As to me reaching the jet, I'm going to the island first. I'll swap places with a drone flying it. The fastest submarine we have will get me back here. Are there any other family members that you give a shit about?"

"I have four brothers. Out of them all, there's only one that I would feel bad for. He's the one just under my oldest brother. His name is Toshimichi. I saw him as my best friend when Hikari was gone. If you could spare him and my Mother, then I don't care about the rest."

"Not even your father?"

"My Father almost killed my Mother. Yes, he regretted it. But he still did it. He always got violent when he didn't get his way. I'd have him taken over. Let another have my Mother's figure. I'd rather let that happen," Sakuma nodded.

"Hmm. I think I know what Demeter and Hephaestus are going to do," Alex grinned. "Demeter can gain your Mother's face, but not her form. You want her to live, so that's fine. We can make clones of her. Hephaestus will take over your father. We'll make clones of Toshimichi. We'll take over your other two brothers. I know that human blood consumption can be a temporary form of DNA. Maybe Demeter can reach your father first and set a trap."

"Whatever you want to do. I don't care about him," Sakuma nodded. Alex nodded back and let him go back into his room. Alex now went to talk to Agatha to tell her of his new plans. She was all for what he wanted to do. Then a better plan came to mind.

"Zeus, I have an idea. Demeter thinks it may work. So does Hephaestus," she grinned.

"Do tell," he muttered and reclined in the bed with her. He wrapped his arms around her and took a deep breath for control. The need to mate her was there, but he wanted to help calm her before he had to leave. He had to fight the instinctive urge.

"Demeter will take a sample of Sakuma's mother's blood," she nuzzled him. "She'll distract his father for Hephaestus to take in the killing blow after grabbing several vials of blood. Numbing agents in the tea should help with that."

"It would," he chuckled and found himself kissing her. When he tried to pull away, she held him close to her. As much as he liked it, he had to try and hold back. "Hera…"

"Shut up. I'm not done talking. I also think that one of his brothers should suggest that a training ground for those whores to be set up. One room for each one to help make them think they are training in their specialization. It would give you an idea of what to expect after the man is taken over," she grinned wickedly. Then her hands trailed down into his pants. He hissed with shock. He wasn't expecting that move from her. She ignored his glares easily with a small grin. She knew he couldn't pull away if he tried. As she caressed what she found, she whispered, "When you show up, they can think that they are truly challenged. That whoever can try to kill you will be the best of the best. Nineteen whores. Nineteen rooms. At the end of the line is the part of me as the prize…"

"Hera! You…fucking bitch…" he panted at the probing touches. "I have to leave!"

"Fuck that," she growled and nipped his chin. "Think of the next six or seven hours here as another way for Japan to get ready for you. If we want those whores to think that they have to train against you, the rooms will need to be set up. You want a challenge, right? This will help. No need to hunt them down. They already know you are coming after them. They won't know that you already found them. They'll be sitting ducks for the slaughter in each chamber. They can try to kill you. I know they'll all fuck up. You can evolve quickly this way. The father will be taken over. The mother will be secured. I would say to kidnap the one brother that Sakuma wants to keep alive and bring him here with his mother. We can tell him that it's an escort to a facility that can heal her. He would believe that. As for the Hunter, it will be in a set position for distraction. But, I think instead of putting it in the city, it should go at the entrance of the base to distract the guards in front of it…"

"Bitch!" Alex seethed. Then he shouted at the tug she gave him.

"I don't hear you complaining," she grinned wickedly. He glared at her, but found himself grinning back. He was quick to seed her to let her plan kick start into action.


	54. Chapter 54

As much as Alex hated how she kept him there, her plan was brilliant. Now that he was going to be preoccupied for the next six hours, they had to work swiftly. It was daylight in Japan right now. Osiris was readying a jet to go to the quarantined island to wait for Alex. Demeter and Hephaestus were on their way to the hospital that Sakuma's mother was being held in.

Through the hive link, they agreed not to take over any of the doctors. They weren't needed right now. The best thing to do was to camouflage their way through the hospital with mild duplications from blood. Scout drones went in first and located the unconscious woman. After she was located, a scout drone knocked out one of the hospital staff for a sample of blood. Now with an hour of human duplication, it moved swiftly. Another hospital staff member was quickly subdued for the same thing to happen.

The camera feeds were watched carefully as to when to move her and when to stay put. Only when she was safely removed from the hospital did Demeter take her own sample of the woman's blood to take her place. She took a bit more than the usual to keep the ruse up for the next several hours. That was needed. She was carefully moved back into the hospital bed the mother was in, and the scout drones were able to take her back to her room. The true mother was now secured swiftly and taken to a waiting submarine that was hiding offshore.

The Sakuma drone was notified that the trap was set. Hephaestus was waiting in the hospital room in a camouflaged state. Hades and Hathor were waiting nearby, but they were securing the place that Alex was going to be staying. They were also keeping tabs on the base entrance by monitoring and studying the security guard shifts. Sekhmet and Geb had just arrived on the Japanese shores and moved swiftly to where the trap was waiting. They needed to ensure that the brother they needed to take over would show up.

The Sakuma drone showed up at the hospital first. It showed complete concern and, at first, it was denied access to see the mother. With a fit of rage, it shouted in Japanese, "_This is my Mother! I demand to see her now! Since when does a hospital not allow family to see family?! This is an outrage and a demonstration of malpractice!_"

"_We are so sorry,_" a nurse said quickly. "_Your mother was a victim to an attack. She is resting and stable. Your…um…father did not wish her to be distressed._"

"_I don't care about what my Father thinks!_" the drone snapped. "_I want to see Mother._"

"_Follow me. I can give you limited access. Possibly an hour, at the most. It is the least I can do. Since she is recovering, and it is visitation hours, I can do this. You just cannot stay for as long as you wish,_" a lead doctor said. He knew how powerful this family was.

"_Thank you. You don't even have to say that I was here. I just want to see her,_" the drone frowned. "_I just want to ensure that she is fine._"

"_I understand,_" the doctor nodded.

"_Can you tell me what happened to her? Please?_" the drone asked.

"_Well…_" the doctor hesitated. At the concerned look, he relented. "_She has a skull fracture that is pretty severe. As the nurse said, she is stable, but we don't know if there is any mental trauma. We didn't see any damage to the brain, but what we don't see now may show up later. It's a bit…ah…touch and go right now. We will know more when she wakes up._"

"_I see…_" the drone frowned. It would use this information to set a trap. A cloaked scout drone followed them. When they got into the elevator and the doors closed, the doctor was knocked out. The scout drone took a bit of his blood for the trap, and a little more was collected in a vial in case it lost the form. The doctor would now be taken into the room the other two faculty staff were being hidden in. The scout drone was quick to assume the doctor's form, and various other drones were able to easily take the unconscious human away.

The Sakuma drone was led into the room. Now the trap was fully set. Demeter was sitting upright in the bed and sipping some tea. It was what the mother would have done while recovering. She knew she would have to play unconscious, but that could wait until the others arrived. The Sakuma drone now took out a cellphone and called the next victim.

"_Yasunori! It's Sakuma!_" the drone hissed out.

"_What do you want? I'm on a date with my man!_" the brother growled in his light tone.

"_It's Mother! Dad did something to her again, and she's in the hospital! Unconscious!_" the drone snapped. "_I need you here!_"

"_You are not serious! Mother was hurt?! Um…_" Yasunori hesitated.

"_You'll get your dick sucked later! This is Mother! You think I'm fucking with you?!_" Sakuma was only known to swear if the situation was serious.

"_How do you know that Father did something?_" he asked.

"_Why in the hell do you think I'm with Mother now?_" the drone countered.

"_Okay, okay! Um…do you think I can bring Nariaki with me?_" the brother hoped. At the mental nudge to do it from Sekhmet, the Sakuma drone let out a long sigh. It was how Sakuma would have normally reacted to show he might be swayed.

"_It's supposed to be family only…_" the answer was given with indecision.

"_Just say he's a cousin!_" Yasunori insisted.

"_Fine. Just don't tell me about your fucking adventures when you get here!_" the drone growled. "_Hurry up. I only have an hour window to visit her. I may get kicked out after that._"

"_Does Tsuneo or Toshimichi know about this?_" Yasunori asked.

"_Not yet. I was going to call them next._"

"_Hmm. You call Toshimichi. I'll handle Tsuneo._"

"_Okay. Remember! We just have one hour! Hurry!_" the drone urged. When the call was done, the hive link applauded the performance. The phone was accessed again, and Toshimichi was contacted. He was deeply involved in a new book, but, when he saw who was calling, he took it seriously. His brother only called him when something was dire. They spoke face to face on casual matters.

"_Sakuma! What's going on?_" Toshimichi asked. He had a rather deep, soothing voice that could calm and ease any situation. It was now going unheeded.

"_It's Mother. I'm at a hospital with her. I only have an hour to visit,_" the drone said.

"_Father?_"

"_Yes. He did it. It wasn't verified, but why else would she be here?_"

"_I want the hospital location. I'll leave now._"

"_I'll send you directions. Um…the others will be here, too. We can't let Father know we saw Mother. You know how he gets._"

"_I know. Any word from Hikari?_"

"_Not since I last talked to her. I…also saw her. When I said I was going out with friends. I left to see her. No one else knows._"

"_Are you fucking with me?_" Toshimichi asked now.

"_No. She mentioned that something big was going down. That she was a part of it. I kinda am, too. I…know of a cure that might help Mother. But, we have to move her out of the hospital. Secretly. I know, I'm being cryptic, but Mother's condition is actually worse than we know. Father fractured her skull this time. She may have brain damage._"

"_Oh no…_" Toshimichi swallowed. "_This thing that Hikari told you…it could help Mother? It can heal her?_"

"_It's possible, but it's VERY experimental and just as dangerous. We would have to transport her to the United States. Commander Murlow was working with vaccines, as you know. He may have stumbled onto a cure that may work beyond being an antivirus. In experiments, it showed it regenerated damaged tissues and cells.. It could reverse the damage to Mother, but it may do other things, too. We don't know. I can't let the others know that I told you this. We can't let anyone else come with us. I don't know how else to tell you…_"

"_This is for Mother. Fuck it, I'm in. I'll meet you at the hospital. When do the others plan to appear? It may be safer for me to show up after they do._"

"_Yasunori wants to bring his boyfriend,_" the drone said with a roll of its eyes.

"_Yasunori can go fuck himself!_" Toshimichi snorted with disgust. "_This is family only, but whatever. I don't care what he does, but he should not bring outsiders in to see Mother. Pathetic. He's likely talking to Tsuneo, I bet. They'll be showing up as a small group. Call me when they leave. It's either that or I just wait in the lobby._"

"_Wait in the lobby. When I call you, it will be easier. No heavy traffic, and you can take your time to get here. Thanks for understanding._"

"_That's not my true worry. If you went out to see Hikari, then something bad must have happened. I want to know what happened._"

"_You come and see Mother. I'll fill you in,_" the drone promised. The agreement was made and the call was disconnected.

"This is far too easy," Demeter muttered.

"We are dealing with children. That's why," Hephaestus chuckled. "They don't know a trap when they see one. We also outnumber them. They can't hide from us if they declined."

"It will be interesting playing out as a man," Sekhmet giggled.

"With feminine qualities, so it may not be that different," Geb smiled. They kissed softly, but forced themselves apart. Each mated pair wanted to be together, but it wasn't safe yet. Amaterasu thought to the hive mind from where she was to remind them that Sakuma did want to try and get Tsuneo as part of the group. That made them think on how to go about it.

"Maybe we can hint that something is known. See if we can get him to follow where we take his mother," Demeter mused. "Have our drone as the doctor talking to the two drones that took over the forms of the other humans. Say that they need to prepare her off-site for the experimental drug. When he sees Toshimichi with the group, he'll want to know what's going on. He would feel the need to follow."

"Very true," Hephaestus nodded. The hive link reported that Yasunori was approaching the hospital, and everyone got into position. Demeter lay back down in her disguise to feign sleep. The others in the room cloaked to hide or leave to set the next part of the trap. The Sakuma drone was now pacing the room with intense thought to show a form of distress. Tsuneo was the first to appear. His black hair was lightly tinged with gray, but it was a rather professional look to his striking features. He wasn't very filled out in the chest, but the suit he wore hid that fact. Narrowed, dark brown eyes studied the room grimly as he thought with a rather intense expression. He was tall and lanky, but all of Sakuma's family held that trait.

"_Tsuneo! Where's Yasunori?_" the drone asked.

"_He decided to stop the elevator. He's a fucking disrespectful pervert!_" he growled. "_No matter. What is Mother's condition? Do we know?_"

"_It's bad. Head fracture and possible mental trauma. She's stable, but that's all they know. Toshimichi will be here soon,_" the drone muttered. At the glance Yasunori got with his boyfriend, they both gave small blushes. "_You're one ungrateful bastard!_"

"_We just made out, okay?!_" Yasunori scoffed. His black hair was tinted with blonde tips and spiked up slightly. He was slender in the silk suit of dark blue he wore. His face had a touch of a feminine look from his mother's features, but he was as tall and lanky as the rest. His eyes were a bit more golden brown than dark, and his skin was paler than the darker tones of his brothers. The man with him was a bit more muscular in form, and he sported a black tank top with velvet blue pants. He wore his hair in the same style, but it was more black than brown. His eyes were just as black as his hair.

"_Is Toshimichi here yet?_" Tsuneo asked.

"_He was on his way. Where he is driving in from, I think the traffic is rather bad. He's trying to get here quickly,_" the drone explained. Tsuneo nodded and walked back out into the hallway. It was here that the drones that held the face and form of the doctor and two associates were. They were lightly discussing a possible experimental cure, but they stopped talking when Tsuneo appeared. They lightly coughed and walked away. One sheet of paper purposely fell from a notebook with the plans to move the mother off-site.

"_What's this?_" Tsuneo blinked. He waited for the drones to leave, and he picked up the sheet. At what he read, his eyes widened. A new cure?! It was obviously something from his father. A location to where his mother was going to be sent to was described. It was listed as top secret, too. And they wanted to test this on his mother? He didn't like it. He had to stop them. Right now, it was too out in the open and broad daylight. He would have to meet them there and show up. He pocketed the directions and walked back into the room.

"_Tsuneo?_" the Sakuma drone asked.

"_I have to go. Call me if anything happens with her,_" he said.

"_Where are you going?_" the drone asked.

"_Possible business venture. I'll fill you in later,_" he responded. The drone nodded and returned its attention to the disguised Demeter. Tsuneo walked out and called for a cab. A drone was already in place to transport him. Now with him gone, the Sakuma drone looked over at Yasunori and his boyfriend. Sekhmet and Geb were in position right behind them.

"_It's a shame,_" the drone sighed. "_That you were not into women. We could have let you live, if you did. But, well, you are of no use to us this way. Sakuma does not care for you. Thanks for showing up. It will help us continue with our plans._"

"_What?_" Yasunori blinked. Then he saw his supposed mother sit up in the hospital bed and revert into a beautiful, blond-haired woman with striking pale blue eyes. She smiled softly and nodded to the stunned men before her.

"_The two of you are now going to serve us in another way,_" she whispered. "_I am Demeter. I hope you understand. No hard feelings._"

"_Yasunori?!_" Nariaki winced. The Sakuma drone reverted into Demeter's scout drone. The two men paled even more. This was a trap. The whole thing was a trap. Yasunori knew his father despised him for the path he chose in love. That it held no honor to the family. Despite everything thrown at him, he followed his heart. He succeeded in doing what he wanted. The only thing he could think of was that he was going to die happy. He just didn't realize how soon it was going to happen. He honestly thought that this was something his father planned out to get him fully out of the way.

"_I've always loved you, Nariaki. I just…wanted to confess that…_" Yasunori swallowed. He knew he was going to die, and he would show no fear. If there was one thing he gained from his father, it was the ability to be fearless when the end was right in front of him. He won't back down. Even when he and his partner were forcefully shoved to their knees for blood to be removed, his heart was pounding. He didn't even scream when they both were finally got taken over. Now with the new memories being shared with one of Alex's drones from a small amount of blood, they knew the next step.

"It's time to bring Tsuneo and Toshimichi into the fold. Let's not delay that any longer," Geb said lightly. "Toshimichi is in the lobby. Let's get him here."

"Call him," Demeter said to the Sakuma drone. "Geb, you and Sekhmet should leave. Track down where the father, Hedeyasu, is currently residing. Yasunori was known to be a pest for money. We don't want to give up that façade."

"Quite true!" Geb grinned. He kissed his mate passionately before reforming into his new body. They both left soon after. When they were gone, the Sakuma drone contacted Toshimichi and had him come up.

"_I saw them leave,_" he growled as he walked in. "_They wouldn't stop touching each other! Even a decent husband and wife would stand at a respectful distance!_"

"_Well, Yasunori admitted to being in love with Nariaki. I think that's why,_" the drone shrugged. He saw the human cringe silently, but then he shook off the feeling.

"_Whatever. Anyways, what is going to happen with Mother?_" he asked.

"_The doctor needs to transport her. It needs to be done off of the hospital grounds, since it is an experimental and non-listed drug. It could be a liability. I can convince him to let us watch for security. Give me a minute,_" the drone said. It walked out the door, and a conversation was heard. Of course, the usual argument for safety ensued. At the final relenting being done, the drones walked in to start preparing Demeter for travel.

"_We are leaving now? Should we wait until night?_" Toshimichi asked.

"_If we wait, we risk being suspicious. If we do this now, during the day, it would be easier. They always say that it is safer to be in public rather than in seclusion,_" the doctor drone explained. Toshimichi blinked at this, but the Sakuma drone winked. That had him nod. Various files were already changed in the system that the mother was fully recovered and released. When they approached the ambulance, it was an unregistered one from another hospital. The license plate numbers were changed out to that of a handicapped car, but done in a hospital frame. Many would not even pay attention to such details. It was tested and easily noted. They drove off to the port.

In the distance at the port, Tsuneo was waiting behind a few fishing crates. When he saw the ambulance with his mother getting unloaded, he paused. He saw his two brothers helping to assist the hospital workers. He felt outraged. They knew of this?! And they didn't tell him?! Now he knew he had to follow them to get his answers. He was led to a secured part of the docks. Quite a few drones had already taken over much of the port. He was left undiscovered as they moved about normally.

When they got to a submarine, he gaped. There was a United States submarine here?! This was big. He recognized the insignias and design structure. Why wasn't it stopped? As he sat there in silence, he suddenly paused in shock. A drone in the form of a security guard had easily snuck up behind him and pressed a gun to his back.

"_What are you doing here?! This is a classified restricted area!_" the drone snapped.

"_My Mother is being moved onto that submarine!_" Tsuneo growled.

"_Your mother? Hah! Sure. And my dog is being awarded the best actor!_" the drone sneered. "_You have seen too much!_"

"_And what do you plan to do about it?_" he asked. He didn't expect the blow to the back of his skull to knock him out. Now the drone chuckled and others came to help restrain him and carry him into the submarine. He was carefully hidden in a back storeroom for transport. Demeter was expertly swapped out for the true mother's unconscious body. She needed to stay in Japan. She had two extra vials of the woman's blood to help her until a clone could be made.

The submarine was now boarded and underway. A fresh stock of various foods were also loaded for transport. The passengers were soon underwater without any further delays. Now, as Toshimichi regarded the Sakuma drone with intense curiosity, he would get his answers. But, it would be in a way unlike anything he ever experienced before.


	55. Chapter 55

As the Sakuma drone regarded the human, it appeared hesitant to talk. At a glance around the crew of drones, they all appeared to be American. With a sigh, the drone said, "_You do know how to speak English, right? Just in case you are questioned?_"

"_I do,_" Toshimichi nodded. "_Do we need to do that now?_"

"I think it may be best," the drone said. "We don't want to look suspicious."

"Fine. Okay. Spill it. What do you know?"

"Have you heard about something called…Project Hera?"

"Father did mention something about it before. A new breakthrough of some sort."

"Yes. Parts of this project can cure and heal. Hikari was unwittingly used for this experiment. Also, that Commander was fucking her behind our backs."

"No…"

"Yes. She admitted it to me. Her DNA was used to try and make something that could be bred out. I think Father succeeded. Yes. He used her without permission."

"Shut the fuck up!" the man hissed.

"As to what I said before," the drone continued. "The project can also regenerate lost tissue. It may help with Mother. With anyone. It was tested on a soldier that nearly had his arm bitten off in half. The muscle regenerated easily. But, like I said, there are side effects."

"Like what?"

"Like me," the drone smiled and reverted to its true form. The other drones on the ship now reverted to their true forms. "Don't bother trying to escape. Don't bother trying to help your mother. You both have been chosen to assist us."

"What…the hell…?!" he gaped.

"Tsuneo is now locked up on this submarine, too. Yasunori and his partner are now in the fold as one of us. They could not be used, however, and their forms are now used for our purposes. Sakuma is waiting to speak with you when we arrive at our destination. It was by his request that you join us to make the choice to live with him at his side. It was the same with Tsuneo and your mother. Your father may be killed for his form to be used for our gains."

"Yasunori…is dead…?"

"Yes. We have his memories. Hikari was also killed. Sakuma is still alive. He agreed to join with us. He donated his blood to us to allow us to use his face and form at our leisure. You will know why when you meet him. Do not worry about your mother. We will take care of her. We will not kill her."

"Impossible…" he paled. As much as he wanted to grieve over his two siblings, he was in too much shock to do it. "Tsuneo…can I see him?"

"He is unconscious. He followed us and had to be contained. If you wish to see him, you may. You are always watched," the drone said in its monotone voice. "We do not need to sleep or eat. If you need either accommodations, feel free to ask. We have bedding and meals set up for you. If you attack us, you will be restrained."

"How long…has this been…?" he winced.

"Our Empress, Project Hera to you, has been active for less than a year. It has taken three years to create her. Our Emperor, Project Zeus, is her mate. More will be revealed when you speak with Sakuma. I have been ordered to say nothing else," the drone said. "There is a base facility in Japan that our Emperor will be destroying. There have been experimental tests running on various sections of our Empress that she finds blasphemous. That is all I can tell you. You will find out what is offered to you when you speak with Sakuma."

"I need to know more!" Toshimichi demanded, but his words now fell on deaf ears. He was being forced to wait. He swore violently in Japanese at how easily he was tricked. He finally refocused and meditated slightly to bring his temper back under control. First he needed to see his mother. Then he had to check on Tsuneo. Yasunori and Hikari were now dead. As much as it pained him, he didn't really care for them all that much. Swallowing, he was now directed to where Tsuneo was being held and kept incapacitated with drugs.

The submarine was taking its time in getting back. By the time the five hour mark hit, Alex had already assisted Agatha in her latest birth of eggs. The female that was ready for Bruce had also hatched out. The dark brown hair she had was exquisitely long. When her eyes opened, they were the steel grey of her father's. She looked rather plain, but she definitely had the curves to show she was voluptuous. When she spoke, it was with a slight ring of authority to show that she didn't put up with any form of shit. It was much like her mother, in that aspect.

"My name is Meret. Where is Bruce?" she asked in point-blank manner.

"In his room," Alex growled. At the sight of him, she cleared her throat and showed instant respect. This was her Emperor. "Don't fuck up with me. Ever."

"Understood," she nodded. He treated her like a soldier. She was solid discipline.

"Always show respect to me, too," Agatha nodded. "And your father."

"Of course," Meret nodded. "I didn't expect to come off so harshly."

"Don't make the same mistake twice," Alex warned. "Now go fuck your mate."

She nodded and left after choosing a shirt and pants outfit of soft, light blue cotton. When she left the room, he turned to look at one of the lesser drones of Kim. At the mental command, it nodded and left to start preparing the holding room.

"What is it?" Agatha asked. "Zeus?"

"No one is touching you while I'm gone. Queens and females only will visit you. A submarine is approaching with Sakuma's family. We'll keep the mother under a very close monitor to ensure she doesn't falter in her stable condition. Tsuneo and Toshimichi will be put in the holding room. Sakuma can talk to them in there," Alex said.

"Of course," she nodded. "How long do you think you'll be gone?"

"I'm going to the island first. When I get there, I'll ride the jet to Japan. I'll demolish that base and tear apart everything piece by fucking piece. I'll save the hearts for you," he said. "I will always come back to you, Hera. Have no worry about that."

"I know," she nodded. He kissed her hard and forced himself away from her. It was time for him to head out. He wanted to be out before the other submarine came back. He didn't want to slaughter anyone that he didn't know. On leaving the room, Robin was now in full guardian mode. No male would be allowed to see her from this point forward.

As Alex went to the cryo tube, he gave a mild glare at Robert. For once, the man understood why and showed no malice. He couldn't see Agatha until Alex got back. He didn't want Agatha to be in constant birthing pains. She could only give birth when Alex was there.

"I'll see how Sakuma is with his family. I'll stick with my kids, too. Bruce has worked out a communication system. Here," Robert said. He handed over a couple ear pieces. "One of my kids can constantly talk to you this way. It can relay to them within a two mile radius. A set of drones from you and my kids will be in my room to help talk back and forth, too, as a precaution. We don't know what to expect in this base. In any of the bases, really."

"I know. For what it's worth…thanks," Alex nodded. They shook hands.

"Just come back alive. I don't want to be the only one to hear Agatha bitch," Robert smirked. They made the usual rude gestures to each other and parted ways. The ear pieces were now pocketed, and Alex put himself in the cryo tube. Thirty minutes later, he was at the island. A drone sent by Osiris was waiting patiently in the airfield of an island base. The cryo tube was sent back, and he got to the jet quickly by jumping and gliding through the air. He was purposely doing this to ensure he still had the proper survival skills for jumping. He shouldn't have worried so much. Everything was second nature.

He landed with a heavy, solid weight in the ground. The cement cracked and dipped under him as though a boulder just landed. He rose up easily and looked at the jet in front of him. An SR-71 Blackbird was waiting for him. These jets were unheard of now, but this one was owned by Commander Murlow as one of his personal toys. Osiris wanted to keep it around specifically for that reason. It would get Alex to Japan incredibly swiftly. He also knew that Alex would have to be riding under the jet. It would slow it down slightly, but not by much. A harness was even rigged for him. All he would have to do was release it to free himself into a free fall. The jet would then safely return to Osiris's estate.

Alex moved up to the jet and fastened himself into the harness. His back was pressed against the bottom of the jet, and it was actually cooler here. The engine wouldn't burn him from how far down he was, and his hood would protect his face from bright lights and glares. Even the takeoff was rather smooth. The ocean and various island landscapes sped by swiftly as he was transported. The sun rose back up as though the jet was chasing it to reveal even more of what was passing beneath them.

Once the ocean beaches of Japan neared a couple hours later, the jet made a bee-line for where the base was to be. It would be easy to be undetected. Various drones had already infiltrated the area that would scan the skies for intruders. Much like the hospital, they just knocked out the humans and took a sample of blood. In time, that section of Japan would be utilized. Right now, they just wanted to ensure that their Emperor had safe passage.

As much as Alex wanted to go with Agatha's plan to use Sakuma's mother to bait his father, Alex couldn't wait any longer. The more he waited, the more he knew the other atrocities would gain a defensive plan. He had to get them while they were still trying to prepare. At the mental nudge that he was over the base, he let the harness release him. Now that the jet was swift in departing back to United States airways, he was timing his drop to land near where the drugged Hunter was.

Hermanubis saw the jet rather easily, but he couldn't see Alex. As his Emperor neared the earth, he smirked with a small nod. His Emperor never ceased to amaze him. Alex didn't bother with a parachute. It would have made him far more noticeable. A large plot of land was cleared away for him to land, too. It was needed, and the land was already bulldozed clear for future buildings. It was also two miles away from the base to avoid detection. The crater he left behind was massive and would have caused far too many questions. It was a good thing the drones were ready to bury it up the moment their Emperor made a final landing.

"Status report. Now," Alex muttered. He walked out of the ten foot deep, twenty foot wide crater of plants, dirt and rocks easily. "We can't wait anymore."

"That we can't," Hermanubis agreed. "Sigyn is watching over the Hunter. Geb and Sekhmet successfully claimed the bodies of Yasunori and his boyfriend. They are on their way to see the father now. They were thinking of asking for money."

"Really? Actually, have them mention that they heard something through a grapevine of a hidden experiment. That they overheard Sakuma say something to Toshimichi. When asked how they were together, they can say that they visited their mother. That they were planning to visit this 'secret base' to find a cure for her. If asked what Sakuma knew, they can name drop Lynette. Or Hikari, since they all know her by that name here. Have it relayed in a phone call, but have them come here before doing it," Alex grinned wickedly. "When the father appears, release the Hunter."

"Done," Hermanubis grinned just as wickedly. "Should we have the Hunter just inside the base? So it looks like it broke in?"

"I like that idea. Do it," Alex chuckled. "Wait until that guy is thirty minutes out. This way, he'll get the calls for infiltration and can set up the interior defenses. Oh, that reminds me. Do we know the floor plans yet?"

"Yes. Apparently, the abominations couldn't give out the pains that the first piece could. It was easy to map out most of it. It's built in a wide circle. What we need to get to is in the center, but it's designed like a spiral. A rather complex floor plan, to be sure. The ducts are too narrow to slip into. It's the same with piping and ventilation. We have to walk in. Osiris and Isis are also here. They arrived with the Hunter and a spare submarine for transport back."

"How many rooms in the spiral?" Alex now asked.

"Funny you should ask. Twenty-five rooms. It turns out that each abomination has a specific training room. Unless called out to work, they live in them. There is a recreation room for eating, a sleeping chamber for scientists and subjects, a bathing area, and a place for minor weapon repair. Of course, there is the lab, but that's where the piece of Mother is being held," Hermanubis said. "In the very center."

"Right," Alex mused. "Main lobby is the first room?"

"Yes. And main security room, too. Practically all of the defenses are in the main room of this base. From what we gathered, none can try to infiltrate from the twenty rooms that are occupied. Of course, nineteen now," the breeder male smirked. "The base is impenetrable, too. Everything leaving and coming in can only occur through the main entrance. There are no secret entrances. No hidden walls. No trick doors. Just solid steel, concrete and dirt. It's also based on an island, too. Only way in is through the bridge under the water."

"Interesting. So, if there is an explosion, they're all trapped there," Alex thought. "No emergency exits at all, huh?"

"No. The ventilation shafts are exceptionally narrow. And heavily filtered."

"How strong is the bridge?"

"It was reported that a tsunami hit the island. The bridge was fine. Even after all the debris that slammed into it. It's virtually indestructible."

"Maybe from the outside. Likely not the inside. I want to fuck this place up already. Get the Hunter into position," Alex snorted.

"Wait, my King and Emperor. You need to know this, too," Hermanubis said. "The floor plan is based like a spiral. However, it's not horizontal. It's vertical."

"What?!"

"You will be jumping through floors, running through them and climbing up ladders for each one," he explained. "It's a bitch. It was mainly designed as a training ground for each abomination. It helped to keep them in shape. All of the main facilities are at the top, of course, but the lower ones are a bitch to reach. There are no elevator shafts. There is one to the main central lab, but, think about it. If the base is in lockdown, that won't work. Everything will be sealed off. You may be able to open it up from inside the lab. We can only hope so."

"I'll fucking say so!" Alex snorted. At the same time, it didn't bother him at all. He had to collect the hearts from the abominations for Agatha. He took the ear pieces out from his pocket, and Hermanubis was quick to take one. He would be the one to inform his Emperor. It was part of the hunt, after all. He looked over to see Osiris and Isis approaching in a small land rover. There was enough room for him and Hermanubis to join them.

"Let's go now. The Hunter is being given the drugs needed to wake up. Geb just called up Sakuma's father. Outraged and shocked doesn't completely come to par," Osiris grinned. "I also made a call to him as the Commander to demand why information was leaked. It's rather fun putting his ass on the spot."

"I also screamed at him for using DNA without permission," Isis giggled. "We need to head there now. We can take you beyond the bridge. The Hunter will keep him and security busy. Drones are currently awaiting us to escort us to safety. We need to go now to keep the element of surprise."

"That's what I want to hear," Alex nodded. He went over everything told to him crucially. Time was of the essence. The enemy was caught off-guard. It was time to strike.


	56. Chapter 56

Hedeyasu Hamamoto was enjoying a light lunch in his main office when he got a call from, who he thought, was his son, Yasunori. The light tone always enraged him to hear it. He preferred the deep, natural tones of his other sons. The light tone sounded too female. Too weak. At first, he ignored the call and let it go to voicemail. He neatened out his lightly groomed moustache, combed back his graying, thinning hair, and wiped his mouth a bit clean from the sushi he was eating. Hiding his disgruntled nature, he answered the phone when it rang a second time. His son always called until he was spoken to.

"_What do you wish? I am in the middle of my lunch,_" the older man said with irritation.

"_Um…I just saw Mother in the hospital,_" Geb said with Yasunori's tone.

"_What?_" he asked.

"_Yes. Sakuma called me to talk to me. He told me that Mother was in bad shape. That she hurt her head. The doctors weren't specific as to how…_"

"_No need to know. I found her like that. How is she?_" the father asked now.

"_She was released, and Sakuma took her away. I think Toshimichi was going to help him. Tsuneo was also told what happened. Sakuma said that Hikari spoke to him, too. She told him that odd things happened. She also told him that a cure for Mother could have been found._"

"_If there is, then this is news to me,_" the older man growled. "_Where are you located?!_"

"_Where am I? Oh! I am with Nariaki. He remembered that he thought he saw where you worked before. We are heading over there now._"

"_Don't you DARE take that person to my laboratory!_" he snapped. "_He is not family, and you are not allowed there, either! Head back to where your apartments are! Right now!_"

"_Hard to do that, Father,_" Geb said smoothly with a hint of worry. "_Your official…ah, they want us out of the car to wait for you._"

"_You idiot!_" the older man seethed. At another call coming through from his security team, he sighed with dismay. "_I'll call you back if I can!_"

"_Yes, Father,_" Geb sighed. The drone on the other end with the call waiting gave a small nod to show it was ready. The guard it consumed was easy to manipulate.

"_Sir, I am sure that you know that your son and boyfriend are here,_" the drone started.

"_Shut up! I know!_" Hedeyasu scowled. "_Just hold them in a room for now! Separately!_"

"_Of course, Sir,_" the drone agreed. He swore after the call finished, and he muttered as he finished off his lunch hastily. He rose up from his chair to show that he was tall once, but now his body seemed to be shrinking. It was a genetic trait for his family. The black suit he wore seemed to give the illusion of his former height. He got to his black luxury car and got in with his valet to drive for him. At the next phone ring, he blinked at the number. Now he took in a deep breath for control before answering it.

"_Hello? Hedeyasu speaking,_" he said.

"You old fuck! You know to speak English with me!" Osiris had called him with Commander John in effect. "I just got a call from your security team that one of your kids was caught snooping! What the fuck are you trying to pull?!"

"Hikari has a big mouth!" Hedeyasu snapped. "She told Sakuma what was going on! Then he blabbed about it to the family!"

"Lynette?" Osiris asked. He knew that calling her the American name pissed him off. "Is this true? Did you say this?"

"I was scared," Isis trembled in the background as Lynette normally would. "I didn't know he would blab…"

"Hopefully he won't come to any harm," Osiris sighed. "That reminds me, Hedeyasu, did the DNA strand work? The one from her?"

"It did, to an extent. Not breeding quality, but good for face and form," Hedeyasu said with a touch of pride. "I told you it would!"

"What DNA?" Isis suddenly asked.

"Oh…" Osiris gave the feeling of a wince.

"You used _MY_ DNA?!" she scowled. "Without my permission?! Father! Please tell me you didn't! You couldn't have!"

"I did what I had to do!" Hedeyasu scowled. Now Isis went into this swearing tirade and stormed off as Lynette would when she lost her temper.

"She'll get over it," Osiris chuckled softly. "She always does. Anyways, we'll be coming out soon. I want to see the results. She should, too."

"Fine. I'll be there," the old man said.

"Good," Osiris said and hung up the connection. Hedeyasu was not happy. He called up the hospital to demand where his wife was. When they told him that records show that she was released, he was furious. Sakuma's signature was on the documents. Now he called up his son.

"_Sakuma! Where is your mother?!_" he growled. Instead of the drone answering this call, it was redirected to Sakuma. He wanted to personally answer this phone call. He was informed on everything the drone did. He knew exactly what he wanted to say.

"_She is safe from you. Since I know you are the one that almost killed her,_" Sakuma said with such a cold tone in his voice that his father actually gaped. "_I found this out from one of the maids. You will never touch her in such a manner ever again. I refuse to allow you the satisfaction. I had her moved. Is she alive? Yes. But, she is still unconscious. You cracked her skull when you struck her! She may have brain damage now! I have my own team of doctors that will help her. And, yes, it involves Project Hera. They want to see if Mother will become healed. Maybe I'll see you at the base. Maybe I won't. We'll see. I refuse to speak to you ever again if Mother dies. Goodbye._"

The old man stared at the phone in his own form of private shock. He had no idea how badly he hurt his wife. He was trembling with a form of shame. It was never his intention to make her a target for his anger. He knew that Sakuma had the wisest head of all his sons on his shoulders. He had every right to see to his mother's safety. Even Toshimichi knew the way the world worked, but not as good as Sakuma. He should have paid more attention to his youngest son. Was it too late for that?

Sakuma said he was going to the base. Hikari could have said where it was. He had to be there with his mother! He was still looking at his phone when he whispered, "_I am sorry, Asuna. I will do what I can to make it right._"

The next call he got would make all of his thoughts shatter. Answering the phone, he heard a horrific, screaming roar. His main head of security was on the phone. "_Sir! We are being attacked by a viral mutation! It's huge! The largest we've ever seen!_"

"_WHAT?!_" the man shouted. "_Impossible! They are all quarantined on that island!_"

"_Sir, that's not the case now! Our bullets aren't even-!_" the choked off scream with coughing blood was the last thing heard before the call went dead.

"_This…can't be happening…_" Hedeyasu trembled. His thoughts went to his wife. She was supposed to be at that base! And now it was under attack?! He called up Commander John's cellphone, and he remembered to speak in English. "We have a big problem. How fast can you get here?"

"What's going on?" Osiris asked calmly.

"We have one of those massive creatures from the island attacking the base!" he hissed.

"What?!" Osiris acted out his shock. He had an aerial image sent to his phone. "Okay. I agree. We have a problem. I'm almost at the base. I'll see if I can slip past it with my team and lock down the lab. I would notify security if I were you. Actually, fuck that, I'll do it!"

"My wife was supposed to be there," he cringed.

"If she is, I'll safeguard her. You have my word," Osiris said solemnly. The call was disconnected, and the old man was now taken to another area. He still had to see to the base, but he would wait until the threat was cleared. It was all he could do.


	57. Chapter 57

"Interesting," Alex mused from the land rover he was in with the breeders. "He was actually concerned about what he did for his wife."

"I know. I wonder if he would turn to our cause if we saved her," Osiris grinned. "The man is a scientific genius with biochemical warfare."

"True. We'll talk about it after I fuck up this base. I need a carrycase for those hearts," Alex said. "Your mother needs them."

"I'll follow you after each room and carry them," Hermanubis said. "I won't trust any other. What do we do about Hedeyasu?"

"Keep track of where he's being taken. Then take over his driver. When we get into the base, he should be called. Osiris, you call him. Tell him that you need to take him to a place of safety. You can tell him it's on a submarine offshore. Give him some tea. Put sleeping drugs in it. Stuff that's known to calm the nerves, only this will work too good for him. He does give a shit about his wife. We'll see about reviving her and let her give him what for if she feels like it," Alex grinned savagely. "And, yes, we'll record the meeting."

"Sounds like fun," Osiris chuckled. Isis giggled and looked over at the base entrance. Sigyn was quick to run over to them and latch onto the rover. As they all assumed their disguises, the massive Hunter didn't even take notice of them. It was busy wreaking havoc on the security squads. If it was still alive later, they'd kill it for fun.

Osiris expertly drove the rover quickly down the five mile tunnel. It was pitch black save for the small emergency lights along the ceiling to guide them down the straight underwater road. After ten minutes, they got to the island base. Right before they reached the security checkpoint, Alex tapped Osiris on the shoulder. "Tell them about the fucker at the entrance."

"Got it," Osiris muttered in his Commander guise. When the rover drove up to show the group that was in it, the security personnel was confused. When they noticed that English was being spoken, they focused on the language to understand it. "Hedeyasu sent me here with my crew. A viral mutation is attacking the first security checkpoint. Get your team out there and either quarantine it or kill it! If that son of a bitch gets into the city, we're all fucked! If it gets in here, you're all fucked after I kill you myself!"

"Sir, yes, Sir!" the men said together. The small cars they got into were gone down the tunnel the moment they were turned on.

"I have to lock down this base! I need a status report!" he growled. "Are all accounted for? We can't have anything go missing or go wrong!"

"All of the clones are accounted for. Save for one. Sniper specialty is missing," the lead security man said. "We have them in their training locations."

"Good," Alex smirked and consumed the man to gain his memories. "I'm going hunting. Hermanubis, get your ass in gear! We have to do this now!"

"Should we get more drones in here?" Sigyn asked.

"No. Just us. Monitor the cameras. Use the communication devices we were given. Osiris, you have to call Hedeyasu to track him and get him into a submarine. We can't fuck this up. We go in. Slaughter the bitches. Gather the hearts. Grab the piece of your mother. Leave. One shot. It's all we got. Let's go," Alex growled. The breeders nodded.

"This place would make an awesome base for us," Isis mused.

"No. The military might know about it. We blow it up," Alex said, and he put the communicator into his ear. "You have a cooler handy? We're gonna need it for the hearts."

"I have one, like I said before," Hermanubis nodded. He showed the cold compress bag to him. "We'll put the hearts in it and chill them when we reach the submarine."

"Isis, you can hear me?" Alex asked.

"Loud and clear," she said when she checked her end of the communicator.

"Good," Alex nodded. "Hmm. These memories I acquired tell me that the bitches are arranged from weakest to strongest. Monitor the cameras. Hermanubis. Sigyn. Fuck up all the scientists and personnel you come across. Only when they're dead can I get to work on fucking up everything else. We start…now!"

Alex seethed and ran into the control room with his claws out and ready to slaughter everything. Osiris smirked and Isis was quick to help with the pursuit. Hermanubis and Sigyn kissed hard before bolting into the mess room to start the slaughter there. The sleeping chamber was next, and the blood bath was easily spread to the walls and just outside the chamber door. Osiris and Isis were at the control room computers and issued a report that the base was under attack. Anyone that tried to flee was quick to fall prey to Hermanubis and his sister.

"Bathroom?" Hermanubis asked as his claws tore a man in half.

"Killed a few that were taking a shit," Sigyn grinned savagely with her own claws out.

"Perfect, sister mine.," he chuckled. "I need to follow our King and Emperor. You got it from here? I'm sure you do."

She sent him a glowing smile that made him tremble with lust. She had it under control. Thinking to the hive mind, she stood as sentry, and Hermanubis stayed a few feet behind Alex to collect the hearts he left behind. Alex was now walking into the first chamber of the cloned abominations. He had to kill them off, and he recalled what he was fighting first. The chamber he entered was solid steel with very few decorations or forms of furniture. A punching bag was hanging in one corner with a few free weights.

It was strictly a training room. And he was the new practice target. The black-haired female shrieked and ran at him to punch him out with a lightning quick move that was known to subdue even the fastest human soldier known. What she didn't plan on was the blade waiting to meet her rush. She ran right into her own death.

"Weakest to strongest. So…the first one is…" Alex mused. He turned and had already impaled the first one on his blade. "Hand to hand. Pathetic. Send a message to your computer. The Blacklight Virus is here to offer up his regards. The piece of Project Hera _will_ be mine!"

"No…!" the clone gasped. He ripped through her black armor like nothing. It was made to be bullet proof and weather proof. It was like shredded paper against his attack. She was shocked. She already failed?! The message given was sent and broadcasted. Mass hysteria was going to ensue for survival. He dumped the dying thing on the ground and let Hermanubis finish it off to collect the heart. Alex nodded to him and went into the next room.

"The first three rooms are the upper levels. Fourth room is under the third room. That is where the spiral starts," Isis said in the communicator. "You should see a ladder in each lower corner of the room. When you get to the tenth room, you'll find three rooms in a straight path. In the thirteenth room, a ladder should go up."

"Got it," Alex snorted. In the second room, he was surrounded by a cloud of mist. The abomination that attacked him was soon impaled from his newly honed senses from his last kill. "Hand to hand with concealment. Really? Disgusting!"

"They didn't have much to work with, did they?" Hermanubis grinned and harvested the heart. "Of course, like you said, these are all weak."

"Saving the best for last, I guess," Alex shrugged. The next chamber showed rows of black powder all over the room. Each row ended at a weapon that was designed to either shoot or explode. "Black powder? Not really pyrotechnics, but…"

"Ceiling!" Isis hissed in the communicator. Alex looked up and found the clone holding several lit matches. Just as they all dropped, he activated his armor shielding. After the room went quiet and the smoke cleared, the clone dropped to the ground. The only problem was that she dropped right onto his blade.

"Next!" Alex grunted and tossed the body aside. He found no doorway, but he remembered what he was told about that ladder. It was found and quickly used. Once his feet hit a solid steel floor, he stood up tall. The clone held a knife at his throat in a rather expert manner from behind him. She was waiting for him to appear. "You're an idiot! A knife? Really? Maybe you should have been the first one killed!"

"I…" the clone gasped at the tentacle that pierced through her gut and tore her in half.

"Fucking pathetic! This is what the Japanese have to offer?! I was expecting more of a fight! Maybe the next room will be more promising," he muttered. Hermanubis was calmly gathering up the hearts. None of these abominations were worthy prey to him.

"The fucker at the entrance is more worthy than these things," the breeder male smirked.

"No shit!" Alex growled. The next ladder was located and descended. All he had to do was jump down. After what happened in the room he was just in, he figured it was best. However, his quarry was on the other end of the room and throwing knives were thrown with expert precision. His shield formed to protect him, and he darted over quickly to impale her into the wall with his blade. "Nice try. At least you put up a better fight."

"I'll keep these knives. They're an excellent quality," Hermanubis chuckled.

"Fine," he nodded. Another ladder was found and he jumped down. The next clone was an expert at martial arts, but succumbed to the claws he grew out. A limb was kicked aside, and the next ladder was located.

"Use armor," Isis advised.

"Done," Alex muttered. The moment he descended, a katar slid off his armored skin harmlessly. The hand that held it was next to be removed with the rest of the limbs. "Tenth room. Okay. Three rooms straight?"

"Yes. You're making good time," Isis chuckled.

"Your mother's still a bitch, but even I miss her after a while," he grunted.

"She misses you, too," Isis said softly.

"I'll hurry. No one else fucked her?"

"No. Father is being entertained by dancing Queens in the school. You know that Cronus isn't there with Rhea. The submarine with Toshimichi, his brother and his mother is closing in, but we'll have them set up in the holding chamber," she said.

"Good. After I fuck your mother, she can meet him with the others," he said.

"Of course," she agreed. "Shield for the next two rooms."

"Right," Alex said. The moment he walked into this steel room, several darts from a blow dart tube bounced off him harmlessly. He looked over at the clone and grinned. After the walls were painted with blood, the next chamber was accessed. He found his armored arm encased in a hook and chain. When he was pulled inwards, his blade was out to impale the clone that pulled him over. "Free ride to death. Not bad."

"That actually looked like fun," Hermanubis chuckled.

"I'm sure," Alex grinned. The next steel chamber revealed a clone with a Bo staff. He grew out his hammer arms and spun around. The moment she jumped at him, she was already flying into wall with a crushed in spine. "As always. Pathetic."

"They may have been the best of their status, but to go against you, my King and Emperor, it's just…hilarious!" Hermanubis laughed. "You are the virus that they are supposed to fight. It's like they just…can't do it!"

"They aren't the finished project. That's why. They are a weaker offshoot. This proves it. They were made to be weapons of war, but not against me," Alex smirked. "Ah, that's right. Ladder goes up now. Maybe I can just leap up it…"

"May be best," the breeder male nodded. Alex had his claws out, and he did a massive jump to enter the next room. It was a good thing he was prepared. This clone held nunchucks and was expecting him to be climbing up for an easy advantage. Now that he held the element of surprise, he was quick to rip this clone to shreds. However, he now knew that the others were going to expect this.

"Maybe now things will start getting fun," he grinned sadistically. He leapt up into the next chamber and blocked the dual swords that swung at him. His tentacles were able to make short work of this one. He paused to recall what to expect next. "Next room might be a bitch. I killed the sniper whore, so that room should be empty. After that, the next two rooms may be a pain in the ass. Hermanubis!"

"My King and Emperor?" he asked as he collected the heart.

"I _might_ need your help in these next three rooms. These last four were supposed to be the toughest ones. We'll have to see," Alex said. Hermanubis nodded with understanding.

"When you walk into this room, the next three rooms will be straight," Isis said. "Osiris was able to contact Hedeyasu. His driver is now in our fold, and he will be taken to the submarine in question. Did you want another one to take you back separately?"

"No. I'll just remain in my guise," Alex snorted. "Or just keep him in a lockdown room. He'll be sleeping, anyways, if the drugs kick in."

"Yes, my King and Emperor," Isis said.

"Do you know what the next few rooms hold?" Hermanubis asked.

"I do. Did you want me to tell you?" she asked.

"No. I'll be surprised," Alex growled. "I'll have armor on, anyways."

"Good idea," she agreed. He rose a brow at this and activated his armor. On leaping up into this room, he stopped in his tracks. The walls showed explosive scorch marks.

"True demolition…" Alex muttered. He saw the clone against the wall tossing a bomb up and down into her hand. Her other hand held a stick of dynamite and an unlit match. "Okay, bitch. Show me what you got. I survived nuclear blasts. Impress me."

"What?!" the clone gaped. When Alex moved as a blur along the walls, Hermanubis chuckled. Alex had been silently enhancing in all of his skills with each kill. He was almost too fast to watch now. Even as the bombs and dynamite sticks were tossed, it was as a form of defense and distraction. The clone knew that there was no way she could even attempt to come up to par with Alex. Her severed head was now hitting the wall from how fast his blade severed it from the body. The next chamber awaited, and he rushed through it with blood still dripping off the blade. The chamber was empty, thanks to the first sniper kill on the island.

The moment he walked into this chamber, the crossbow couldn't even be fired from the whip attack that Alex made. He was able to reach her from across the room. The clone was torn in half before she could even blink. It would have been fun to fight, but Alex didn't want to waste any more time. At the approach to the next room, he paused. This was the fight he was waiting for. This was going to be the true bitch to fight.

"There should be two left," Hermanubis muttered.

"Might find the last one in the lab. If not, it might turn up later," he chuckled. He knew that one of the clones was stealth. And it was hiding. "If it does show up, maybe we'll save it for your mother. She deserves to kill one. Doesn't she?"

"That she does," Hermanubis grinned. Isis was able to report what it was. "If we're followed, then, oh well. As you said, we'll save it. I'm sure it would want to see Mother, too."

"Of course," Alex grinned back. "Anyways, this room will be a pain in the ass. Don't help me. I know I've been evolving. I'm at my peak for this next bitch."

"Yes, my King and Emperor," he nodded. "I shall wait for you."

"Good," he nodded back. The moment he walked in, the chamber doors sealed. The others didn't do that. This chamber was far different than the others, too. Everything was heat resistant. And there were plenty of places to attack around and duck behind. "Pyrotechnics. Fine. Give it your best shot."

"Gladly!" the clone sneered from where she was on the highest pillar. Fire blazed out from the blowtorch guns she used, and he darted out of the way. When she looked for him, his claws were now strong enough that he was using them to pierce into the steel wall to climb up it. Then he ripped them out to make steps for his feet. He was making himself an advantage. The clone was horrified. She tried to get a lock on him, but he was moving at an incredible speed.

When he reached the ceiling, he leapt down with his hammers out. Now it was her turn to dodge his attack, and she darted off the steel pillar she was on. His jump attack was so devastating that he crushed down the pillar like an empty soda can. Now he grinned widely. Each pillar was hollow to conserve on costs and supplies. He was still grinning when he charged after her with his blade out. He was going to play with her like a cat did to a mouse.

With each pillar she hid behind, he destroyed it. When there was only one pillar left, she readied her flamethrower guns. She was panting from the exertion. He didn't even break a sweat. Not that he could, anyways. Even as she turned to start firing out the streams of intense, searing flame from the pillar corner in one last act of fury, his blade had already neatly severed through her and the pillar she was hiding behind. It was as though she spun into action just as his blade made a path right through her mid-section from the opposite direction. At the clone's death, the fight was over.

The doors opened and revealed Hermanubis grinning. Then his grin turned into slack-jawed shock at the pillar falling one way and the severed corpse of the clone falling the other way. There were no cameras in the room. The sight of what he now gleaned was relayed through the hive link. Alex turned slowly to glare at him with a small, twisted grin. His blade was dripping with fresh blood. He was still in a dangerous killing mood. Hermanubis bowed respectfully to him on a bended knee to show he was no match.

"My Emperor," he said solemnly. He no longer referred to him as King. Alex had surpassed that. "Mother is greatly impressed. She awaits your arrival when we are done."

"I'll fuck her brains out with joy when I see her," he nodded. "I…can sense the last one. I'm not doing anything. Not worth my time. Let it try to prove its worth. Maybe it can try to reach our escape vessel of a submarine. I need to get the piece of my mate. Grab the heart from this bitch. Let's go."

"Yes, my Emperor," Hermanubis nodded. The camouflaged clone was clearly panicking. At Alex's mention of an escape vessel, it was ordered by the computer to find it and board it. If the clone could find where the main base was, then maybe it could sabotage it as an act of vengeance. Even the clone knew that this base was lost. The computer knew its demise was near, too. Alex felt the clone leave, and he grinned all the more. It was what he wanted. He knew that Agatha would be furiously pissed off if the clone made it to the base. He saw her livid. He saw her pissed. He hadn't seen her in a blood-thirsty rage yet. Maybe that would change. He wanted to see exactly how savage she could be.

He wasn't surprised that the breeder male couldn't sense the clone. That was the specialization, after all. Alex was simply so enhanced that nothing could remain hidden for long. Everything was child's play now. He walked into the lab and found the main computer. On glaring at it, he mused to himself.

"Isis. Can you transfer control of this computer to a portable one? We still have one clone left, and I don't want the thing to think that we already have an advantage," Alex said.

"I can work on it! Osiris has a laptop available that I can use," she said.

"Good. When it's done, I'll destroy this one. Or just set the base to self-destruct as we leave. Maybe we'll just do that. Hermanubis, activate the elevator. Sigyn needs to ready our vehicle. The moment I collect the piece, we're gone. I want this place to self-destruct," Alex said. He approached the tank that held the piece of Agatha, and he paused. Just like the first piece he found, it was scared. It knew how powerful he was now. He smiled warmly and whispered, "It's okay. You're safe now. I'm taking you home."

The small piece tried to become more solid, but failed. It was very weak from the abuse it went through. It was a much larger piece before, but this was all that was left of it after constant experiments. He put his hand into the tank, and his hand was coiled around. It was about the length of his arm and rather heavy as it clung to him with a form of trust. It was very tired, scared, weak and relieved.

Hermanubis shivered with a form of protection. This was a piece of his mother. It burned him slightly with its presence, but he forced himself to overcome it. He had to help it. He walked over with a large container that he found and said, "You are a piece of my Mother. Come. Let's get you home."

"We may need smaller containers. Can you split up for me?" Alex asked gently. Unlike the first one, it simply couldn't do that. It was made as a whole piece and spliced off when needed. "Okay. We'll move as carefully as we can. Hermanubis, we'll need a lid."

"Found one," he said. The container was set into the solution, and the piece quickly accommodated it. Alex lifted the whole thing out, and the breeder male put the lid over it. The elevator was now operational, and the other breeders were quick to help transport the special piece. The camouflaged clone was already waiting on the vehicle they were going to use to escape the base. Osiris had already put that Site Three was now a lost cause and destroyed. The armored car they boarded in was quick to start down the long tunnel stretch. Isis had just finished transferring everything from the main clone computer to the laptop.

"Destroy the base once we're on dry land," Alex said as he drove the vehicle. He knew the clone was riding on top of the car. "Let's finish this."

"Understood," Isis nodded. Alex was focused on driving now. He wanted to get to the submarine to get back to Agatha. He missed her terribly. He just didn't say anything. There was no need to, and those in the car were eager to get to the next plan of action.


End file.
